Amatúlië
by ilupant
Summary: Caia is as ordinary as they come. Once she wakes up in Middle Earth, however, her entire life is thrown around. Everything happens for a reason, but what reasoning is behind her arrival in a fictional world? Every answer only reveals more questions. One world's ordinary is another world's special.
1. Chapter 1

Caia's eyes felt heavy. Her chest heaved as she breathed in deeply, trying to fight off the sleep that was hanging onto her.

Immediately, the ache in Caia's back became apparent as she stretched slightly, kicking something as she did.

Caia frowned, opening her eyelids through a fog of exhaustion.

She was laying outside.

Suddenly alarmed, Caia quickly sat up, eyes scanning her unfamiliar surroundings.

She was nestled between two tall trees, the bark having scratched slightly at her arms during her race to stand up. Barefooted, Caia took a few steps around, bringing a hand up to her head as a wave of dizziness caused her to stumble slightly.

"Mom?" She called, her small voice bouncing back to her.

With wide eyes, Caia turned her head.

Trees.

 _Where is this?_

"Hello?" She called again, louder this time.

Caia's heart was beginning to thunder with panic. Her breathing became labored. The sun was setting in the distance, and all that she could hear was the singing of insects hidden around her.

 _How did I get here?_

With terror coursing through her veins, Caia began to walk, unable to stand still.

How could she have ended up in a forest?

Shivering underneath her thin t-shirt and sweatpants, Caia rubbed her arms as goosebumps prickled her skin.

Since when was it this cold in July?

Caia opened her mouth, ready to call out again, when the trees in front of her became suddenly sparse. As she pushed her way through the branches, her feet stepped onto a dirt path.

Caia looked down both ways with a sliver of hope but was quickly shot down.

There was nothing but trees on both side of the path, which seemed to go on endlessly in both directions.

Something about the cold air and darkening skies brought another chill up Caia's back and she shuddered, picking a direction and following the path.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered aloud, trying to furiously blink away the oncoming tears that pooled in her eyes. "There's no forests like this anywhere near home."

Her mind struggled to wrap itself around her situation, attempting to make sense of Caia waking up in a forest that she did not know.

"I don't even have my phone on me."

As Caia sunk into her own mind, a screech suddenly pierced into her ears.

Caia jumped as her hands shot up over her ears and she whipped around, going completely stiff with fear.

 _What the fuck-?_

Caia's chest heaved as she struggled to take in breath, even after the screech had ended.

There was a distinct sound, almost like deep thunder approaching Caia. A dark horse rounded the corner with its cloaked rider.

Caia froze, eyes widening.

The rider had no face.

It seemed to be wearing metal gloves that spiked at the fingertips, and it pulled on the reins, stopping the horse a few feet away from Caia.

Something about what she was seeing was eerily familiar.

The air was too thick to breathe, and Caia took a shaky step back.

A low hiss, like a whisper, drawled out of the horse suddenly began to move again, stepping towards Caia.

It was as if lightning struck, and Caia could suddenly move again.

She turned on her heel, bolting back into the forest. The horse followed behind her, the sound of its hooves hitting the dirt ground sending Caia's already frenzied heartbeat into a panic.

Caia couldn't help the mangled yell that escaped her lips as she continued to navigate her way between trees, only to be followed. A darkness was trying to latch itself onto her, its slippery fingers brushing against Caia's legs.

 _I've seen it before._

Another screech sounded, this time clearly from the creature behind her.

Caia screamed over it, covering her ears with rigid hands.

As she suddenly emerged onto another path, another black horse galloped towards her from the front, causing Caia to stumble to a stop, blood freezing in her veins.

Behind the horse was a fence, and beyond the fence was a body of water.

" _This way! Over the fence!"_

Just as Caia registered the voice, a hand grabbed onto her arm tightly, yanking her out of the way of the second rider.

"Come on!"

Fire coursed through her body and Caia clumsily ran behind the person who had pulled her away, following them over the fence. Her lungs burned with the effort that it took for her to continue running, and her wrist was grabbed again by the same person, who continued to lead her down a dock, on which two other people already stood, yelling loudly as they rowed a raft away from the dock.

Caia's confusion wasn't as great as her panic, and she allowed herself to be pushed onto the raft, though she stumbled, falling to her knees with a gasp.

The raft began to move.

The other three were still yelling.

"Mr. Frodo!"

"Hurry!"

"Jump!"

One more figure jumped off of the dock, landing on the raft, which rocked with the sudden addition of weight. Caia stared past him with wide eyes.

Four dark riders were perched atop horses that skidded to a stop at the edge of the dock. Faceless, they stared after the raft.

"How far to the nearest crossing?" One of the figures asked, voice shaking with fear.

"Brandywine Bridge- 20 miles."

Caia stared at them, eyes wide. She was the only one still stting.

 _Brandywine Bridge-?_

 _Where is that?_

A strange noise echoed from the riders as they turned, galloping off down the road again.

All went quiet.

Caia's heart thumped so loudly she was sure that everyone else could hear it, too. Still frozen in fear, she continued to stare at the dock, which was now empty.

"Wait- who are you?"

Caia's head snapped up, eyes locking on the person who had spoken. He stared down at her, a mop of curly hair atop his head. Caia couldn't make much else out through the darkness.

Four pairs of eyes suddenly landed on her, and she struggled to speak.

"Uh- I-"

"One of the riders was chasin' her," another spoke, saving Caia from her miserable attempt at speaking. "So I pulled her with me."

It was as if she was the only one with absolutely no idea what was going on. Caia suddenly felt singled out, and she managed to force words out of her mouth.

"I- Where am I?"

After a short silence, her question was answered.

"Buckleberry Ferry. Are you alright?" The person who had spoken kneeled down next to her, laying a gentle hand atop her shoulders. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Caia shook her head.

"Well, we're headed to Brie," the same guy said, removing his hand.

She wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Suddenly, Caia went still.

 _Oh, fuck._

 _I can't be-?_

"Okay," she quickly spoke, only to go silent again.

 _Lord of the Rings?_

* * *

 **If you made it this far, congratulations! Beginnings are not my forte, so I hope this isn't too awkward. I can promise you that the next chapter is much more structured than this. It's also much longer. This is more of a prologue than a chapter.**

 **I was rewatching the LOTR series and wondered- what would I do if I was in the story, as someone who is a sheltered 21st century American? So I just started writing.**

 **This is NOT a self-insert, though. Caia is not a real person, and she is nothing like me, but I want her to be realistic. I want her to grow throughout the story.**

 **Let me know what you thought with a review! I'd appreciate the feedback. :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

" _Enemy of mine,_

 _I'm just a stranger in a strange land."_

* * *

The ride towards Brie was quiet.

Caia wasn't sure if it was because of her, but not a single word was exchanged between any of the five people crammed together on the raft.

Every so often, Caia would notice one of the Hobbits glancing at her, and while she was uncomfortable, she honestly couldn't blame them.

 _I'm a human. They must be wondering how I ended up so close to the Shire._

 _If I only knew._

As the raft swayed back and forth, rocking her gently, the water would occasionally lap up at her hands, wetting them. The reality of Caia's situation was beginning to dawn on her, and her mind ran around in circles, trying to figure out what she was going to do.

Caia had watched and read the Lord of the Rings years ago, after her brother took an interest in the series as well. It had been so long since she watched it that she could only remember major events in the series.

 _But it's all fiction. By every law of the universe, I shouldn't be here._

The screech of the riders in black echoed in Caia's head, and she shuddered. Since when had they gone after anyone without an agenda? How was Caia a threat to them?

The night was filled with air so thick that Caia could hardly breathe.

As she was lost in her thoughts, the raft continued to drift across the water, steered by the occasional rowing, courtesy of Merry and Pippin. Caia didn't return to her senses until the raft came to a sudden stop, bumping into a wooden dock.

Relieved to finally be returned to solid ground, Caia wobbled onto the dock, rubbing her arms as a cold breeze blew around her.

It was dark, the moon being covered by clouds. The only light offered to the group were lanterns hung up with small fires trying to light up the heavy night.

"Which way is Brie, anyway?" Pippin quipped, his voice more cheerful than Caia would have expected.

"There's a sign, Pip."

"Oh- good."

Silent again.

As the Hobbits started forward, Caia caught Pippin throw a glance at her and, taking that as an invitation to follow along, Caia quickly started to follow the group.

As she walked, Caia became aware of just how short the hobbits really were. She wasn't exactly tall herself, but the four of them all came up to about her chest.

A cloak of disbelief blanketed Caia once again.

 _I can't believe this is really happening._

As the five of them followed the road, raindrops began to fall from the cloudy sky. A few drops became a sprinkle, and a sprinkle quickly became a downpour. Caia's hair was almost instantly soaked, and it flattened, sticking to her cheeks and neck. The rain was as cold as the air and her teeth began to chatter lightly. Walking barefoot in the mud was not a feeling that Caia was particularly fond of, but it was hardly a bother next to the fact that she was somehow in a fictional world.

Eventually, a tall wooden wall appeared in the distance, standing as a beacon in the middle of the rain. After coming to a stop, Frodo knocked loudly on the door.

A small wooden window was opened, the first one too high up to take notice of the Hobbits. It was closed, and then the lower window was opened, and the thin face of an old man widened his eyes slightly.

"Hobbits!" He exclaimed. "Four of them! Ya got a lass with ya?"

Caia pressed her lips together.

"What business have you?" The man inquired.

"We are looking for the Prancing Pony," Frodo stated, his voice steely. "Our business is our own."

"Alright, alright," the man closed the window, and the door was opened. "No need to get defensive, I'm just doin' my job. I'm supposed to ask questions after nightfall! There's talk of strange folk around."

The group walked in quickly.

As they made their way through the narrow streets, Caia felt her heart pounding with anticipation. Every person they passed gave them a judgmental look, and Caia was reminded that she was a woman in a time where the world was ruled by men. She suddenly felt insecure in her soaked t-shirt and sweatpants, knowing she looked inappropriate to the eyes of any passing man. Caia pushed her way through throngs of people, trying to stay close to the four Hobbits ahead of her. It was almost too claustrophobic to breathe.

Eventually, a wooden sign hanging from a building came to view, alerting them that they had arrived at the Prancing Pony.

Relieved, Caia followed the Hobbits into the building, the warm stuffy air a slight comfort to her shivering self.

"I don't see him," she heard Frodo remark, craning his neck to look around within the building.

Caia blinked, before a connection was made in her brain.

 _That's right. They're supposed to meet Gandalf here, I think._

As Frodo got the attention of the owner, Caia looked around the building, tuning out their conversation.

The shouts and laughter of the men in the inn were loud, bouncing off the walls. It was as if she was in a different world. Even the people here looked different than back home.

Caia's eyes wandered back to the Hobbits in time to catch Frodo giving Sam a confused look.

"He said he would be here," Frodo remarked, his voice expressing disappointment.

"I'm sure he'll show up yet, Mr. Frodo," Sam responded. "Let's just wait around, shall we?"

So, wait they did.

After fighting their way through to an empty table, Caia sat down next to Pippin, finding herself feeling slightly less awkward around his easygoing personality.

"Do you want a drink?" Pippin asked her, standing up and pointing to the bar.

Caia blinked for a second, taken aback by the question.

"Oh- No thank you," she shook her head, and he nodded at her, bounding off towards the bar with Merry.

It was silent between the three of them left at the table.

Sam nudged Frodo, leaning down slightly and lowering his voice.

"That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we've arrived."

Caia looked towards the corner of the room to find a hooded figure sitting. Smoke pillowed out from his pipe, and Caia immediately looked away after being caught staring.

 _That guy._

 _What's his name?_

Frodo stopped the owner again, who was carrying a platter of drinks.

"Excuse me," he began. "Who's that hooded man in the corner?"

The man looked quickly to the hooded man, and back at Frodo.

"He's one of them ranger folk," he said lowly. "They're dangerous types. Around here, that man's known as Strider." And with that, he was off again.

The familiar exchange got Caia's mind rolling as she tried to remember what exactly happened at the Prancing Pony.

 _How did that guy get involved again?_

Caia's thoughts were interrupted after a few minutes.

"So, what's your name?" The silence was broken by Sam, his brown eyes meeting Caia's.

There was something intensely different about seeing him in real life, as opposed to in a movie.

"Caia," she answered.

Sam nodded.

"I'm Sam, and this is Frodo," he gestured to himself and his companion, respectively. "You're a man, right? Why were you in the Shire?"

Caia's heart jumped.

 _Man?_

 _Oh, right. Like, a human._

Caia's mind was too tired to wrestle with the idea of coming up with a story, so she tried to condense the truth.

"I'm not really sure," she managed, after a second of thought. "I know it sounds strange, but I sort of just woke up there. I don't live anywhere near the Shire."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed. Pippin returned, sporting a mug of foaming drink.

"Where are you from, then?" He asked as the new arrival sat down.

Scooting over slightly to give Pippin more room, Caia fought to explain her situation in a way that would make sense.

 _But, it doesn't make sense._

"I'm from a place called Kingsville," she told Sam. "It's really small. I doubt you've heard of it."

"Kingsville?" Pippin echoed, settling into his seat. "Where's that?"

Before Caia could come up with another answer Merry returned, setting down a mug twice the size of Pippin's. The latter's eyes widened, completely forgetting about the question he had asked.

"What's that?" He asked, astonished.

"This, my friend, is a pint," Merry responded, staring excitedly at his drink.

"I'm getting one," Pippin announced, quickly standing up.

"You've got a whole half already!" Sam's complaint fell on deaf ears as Pippin raced back towards the bar.

Caia twiddled her fingers underneath the table as Sam let out a sigh. The chattering in the inn seemed to get louder, and her head smarted as it began to ache.

She was exhausted.

Caia couldn't help letting her eyes wander to Strider once more, meeting his eyes across the room. Once again, she immediately averted her gaze, heart pounding with anxiety as she tried to recall the events that were about to transpire.

Glancing over at Frodo, she saw him sitting with his eyes closed, a slight grimace on his face.

 _The ring._

Caia's heart leapt into her throat.

 _The riders will come here tonight._

"Baggins? I know a Baggins!"

Caia whipped her head around, her eyes landing on Pippin, who was comfortably carrying on conversation with several men around him.

"Frodo Baggins! Right over there. He's my cousin, twice removed on his mother's side-"

The table shook slightly as Frodo leapt up, pushing his way towards the bar.

Heart thundering in her chest, Caia stood up and followed behind him, her veins running red hot with adrenaline.

 _The ring. It falls onto his finger._

" _Stop!"_ She called in vain, attempting to grab onto the back of Frodo's shirt.

The riders were going to come after them again.

"Pippin!" Frodo's voice was shaking in alarm as he grabbed onto his cousin's shirt, only to be pushed off.

Caia, who hadn't had time to come to a stop, stumbled as Frodo was pushed into her, causing her to lose her footing.

Everyone in the vicinity turned, eyes watching as the pair tumbled backwards to the ground.

Caia landed on the wooden floor with a hard thump her back twisting in discomfort. Frodo fell onto his back, the golden ring flying up into the air. Caia froze as her eyes caught the band, going rigid as her plans to stop the next few seconds flew out of her head.

Frodo reached up to catch the ring, only for it to fall snugly onto his index finger.

He vanished.

* * *

 **And here it is.**

 **Thanks to Tibblets for leaving a review on the first chapter! It made me feel pretty good that someone thought I started out okay, because I was a little unsure when I first published this story.**

 **I'm hoping that I can keep Caia as a realistic OC without having her be a Mary Sue, if that makes sense. So if there's any hints of Mary Sue, somebody please let me know immediately ^^"**

 **I'm pretty excited to be writing this story! Please let me know with a review what you thought, because I really appreciate the feedback.**

 **Also, can anyone guess what song the first two lines of this chapter are from? I was listening to it while writing this chapter, because I find that if I listen to music, it makes my writing better. In my opinion, at least.**

 **Anyways, thanks a bunch for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

_I leave in my heart,_

' _cause I don't want to stay in the dark._

* * *

Caia's heart seemed to stop beating. Gasps emanated from around her as the crowd pointed towards the spot at which Frodo had vanished.

How had the ring made it onto his finger again, even with her intervention?

 _The riders are attracted to the ring._

 _The longer he wears it, the more danger we're in._

"Frodo!" She called out, pushing herself to her feet quickly. It was as if all of her apprehension from before had vanished. Caia's mind was racing so fast that she could hardly catch up with it.

Her body kicked into action, and she pushed her way through the crowd, eyes scanning around for the ring-bearer. As if out of thin air he suddenly appeared, leaning up against the wall. Caia hurried towards him, falling to her knees next to him.

Frodo's face was ashen, his forehead sweaty, and he was struggling to catch his breath. His wide blue eyes met with Caia's, and in them she could see a panic she had never before bore witness to.

"Are you okay?" She asked quickly.

Before Frodo could supply her with an answer, a hand grabbed onto the back of her shirt and roughly yanked her up, immediately pulling Frodo up after.

Caia tried to reach behind her to wrench the hand off but was unable to reach as she was shoved up a stairway, legs struggling to keep up. The scuffle had her heart pounding, sending adrenaline coursing through her body as a red-hot flame.

The pair were shoved into a room and stumbled to the ground, the door shutting behind them. Frodo scrambled up immediately, but Caia felt frozen.

"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. 'Underhill,'" the ranger hissed.

"What do you want?" Frodo demanded, his voice suddenly small.

"A little more caution from you, that is no mere trinket you carry," Strider put out the few candles in the room as he spoke. Caia felt intimidated and out of place as she slowly stood up, lips sealed.

"I carry nothing," Frodo's eyes flickered towards Caia for a second.

She wasn't supposed to know about the ring.

"Indeed," the ranger drawled, pacing towards the other side of the room towards the window. "I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely?" In an almost theatrical way, he pulled his hood off, revealing the face that Caia had seen long ago in a movie. "That is a rare gift."

Standing in the background completely ignored, Caia almost felt like she was watching the movie again, but in much more detail. The cinematography hadn't been able to fully capture and express the darkness that lingered in the room, lacing each icy word. It was as if every little movement was a risk, putting them in danger.

The mere presence of the ring emanated such a heavy evil that Caia could hardly ignore it.

"Who are you?" Frodo asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The ranger tilted his head to the side with a small frown. "Are you frightened?" He asked as if he was speaking to a child.

Voice going soft again, Frodo replied.

"Yes."

"Not nearly enough," Strider fired back, his voice low. "I know what hunts you."

 _The riders in black._

Having momentarily forgotten, Caia shuddered at the memory of the riders.

Their screeches haunted her mind.

A short silence blanketed the room for only a second, giving Caia enough time to notice the look that the ranger was giving her. His eyes were narrowed as he studied her, a look akin to confusion on his face.

The door suddenly burst open and a gasp flew out of Caia's mouth. At the same time, Strider unsheathed a sword and whipped around, as if ready to use it in a split second.

"Let 'em go!" Sam shouted, holding his fists up. "Or I'll have you, longshanks!" Directly behind him were Merry, holding a candle, and Pippin, carrying with him a chair. It was as if they were genuinely about to use it to their defense.

Caia's heart was thundering in her chest as the ranger lowered his sword.

"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit. But that will not save you," he remarked, sheathing his sword before turning and approaching Frodo.

Sam's eyes caught Caia's and he widened them slightly, as if to ask what was happening.

She shook her head slightly, clearly shaken. Though Caia knew that they had come mostly for Frodo, the thought that they were willing to protect her as well warmed her heart a little bit.

After all, they had only just met that day.

"You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo," the ranger interrupted Caia's thoughts. "They are coming."

* * *

Caia sat in the room of a different inn, across from the Prancing Pony. With five other people in the room, it was a tight fit. The hobbits were all sitting on the bed, and Strider was standing by the windowsill. Caia was situated in a chair across from the bed.

It had only been a number of hours since she woke up in Buckleberry Ferry, but so much had happened that an exhaustion Caia had never felt before was overtaking her.

Knowing full well that she was disrupting a storyline that she was never meant to be a part of, Caia was unable to relax in the slightest. It was as if she was a lost puppy following around the first person that showed her any hint of compassion. There was a surrealism in the situation that she couldn't fight through. Though she felt the hard wood of the chair and the chill of the night, Caia still couldn't get herself to fully comprehend that she was really in the story of a series that she had forgotten about long ago.

Legs pulled up into the chair in an attempt to warm herself up slightly, Caia absentmindedly fiddled with the damp material of her shirt.

Her heart already yearned to return home.

"What is your name?"

Caia looked up to find the ranger looking at her from the windowsill. There was something behind his eyes, as if he could tell that she didn't belong.

"Caia," she said, letting go of the bunched-up fabric that she had been holding onto. Her voice sounded out of place; meek. It was almost a clear admission of a guilt that Caia didn't feel was fair for her to feel.

"An uncommon name," he remarked, "along with uncommon attire. Where are you from?"

At the mention of her clothes, Caia felt her face burn slightly.

She wasn't used to standing out.

"I'm not from around here," she answered simply. Caia could feel the conversation steering itself in the same direction as the one she had held with Sam, when he had asked the same questions.

Questions that she didn't have answers to.

"You don't seem to be familiar with the Hobbits," Strider then commented. Hidden within his statement was a silent question.

 _Why are you here?_

Caia pressed her lips together, the events in Buckleberry Ferry once again coursing through her mind. "The riders in black came after me," she said, glancing up shortly at the four on the bed. "They saved me."

 _I have nowhere else to go._

Caia was a misshaped puzzle piece that was trying to cram itself into a space in which it didn't belong. As much as the idea of involving herself in such deadly matters terrified her, she had no other choice. There was no way that she would survive on her own.

The ranger nodded once and looked back out of the window.

With his eyes off of her, Caia was able to relax a little bit, despite the obvious tension that still lingered in the air.

How was she going to make this work?

A heavy silence hung over the room. The faint sound of laughter and shouting emanated from the bar down the stairs, unfitting for the small room.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Caia noticed Strider stand up straighter, tensing slightly as he leaned closer to the window. Slowly, he turned his head toward Caia, who was unable to see out of the window from her chair, gesturing for her to look.

After slowly standing up, Caia quietly walked over to the window, eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly as she looked out at the darkened, empty streets.

"They are here," the ranger said simply.

Her heart froze within her chest.

Four cloaked figures approached the Prancing Pony. From a distance, Caia was able to take in more of their appearance.

Almost inhumanly tall, the riders' black hoods were so dark that they seemed to absorb all light in the area, converting it to an evil that slithered within the shadows. Though Caia knew that they were relatively safe, she couldn't help trembling slightly. The wraiths had ignited a fear within her that Caia never knew had existed. She was small and weak.

No words were spoken within the confines of the room as the riders entered the inn. The seconds seemed to drag on until shadows began to move behind the window of one of the rooms within the Prancing Pony. The movements were quick and sharp.

There were a few loud thumps and Caia jumped when loud, shrill shrieks filled the air, piercing into her head. Only able to imagine what was going on in the room, Caia felt an immense relief, a flicker of hope among the terror that invaded her body.

 _I'm safe in this room._

 _For now._

"What are they?" Frodo asked, his voice quiet within the heavy air.

Strider looked over at the hobbit.

"They were once men," he responded. "Great kings of men. Then Sauron, the deceiver, gifted to them nine rings. Without question they took the rings, blinded by their greed, and gradually fell to darkness. They are now slaves to his will."

"They are the Nazgul," the ranger continued, glancing out at the riders, who were back outside, still shrieking. "Ringwraits. Neither living, nor dead."

Caia's eyes followed the dark riders.

 _Nazgul._

 _That's what they were called._

"At all times, they feel the presence of the ring, drawn to its power. They will never stop hunting you."

As the Nazgul rode out of sight , Caia looked back at the ranger, and then the Hobbits.

Slowly, it seemed as if her situation was beginning to become more and more real. Even the shadows in the room were quivering.

 _I'm actually here. This is really happening._

If Caia was really to be involved in the story, then this was the only beginning.

 _I need a plan._

* * *

 **Hello once again!**

 **Sorry that this chapter is a little on the boring side- it's more of a filler. I hope the beginning was okay, because I don't normally write action very often. I promise that it'll improve as the story moves on.**

 **I wanted to thank Arania Nightshade for the review that you left! It was really sweet, and absolutely made my day. 3 I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! I really want it to be realistic- I want Caia to be an actual person rather than a heroine who magically figures everything out, if that makes sense. I know she probably seems pretty wimpy so far, but as I've said before, she will grow along with the other characters.**

 **The next chapter is going to have a lot going on, so get ready for that! I can't wait to start writing it.**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and please leave a review letting me know what you think! Feedback is really important, and I appreciate every little bit of it.**

 **See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

_We swam among the northern lights_

 _and hid beyond the edge of night._

 _Waited for the dawn to come_

 _and sang a song to save us all_

* * *

Long after after the group had called it a night Caia laid awake. Closing her eyes for more than a second brought back flashes of the Nazgul. Their screeches haunted the corners of her mind.

Caia was laying on the edge of the bed, blankets pulled up over her shoulder. She faced the window, unable to relax. The Hobbits were crammed in the bed next to her. If it weren't for their size, there was no way that they would have fit. Caia didn't have enough room to roll over onto her back.

She had wanted to stay on the ground initially, but Sam had insisted on her taking the bed.

" _You're a lass,"_ he had said. _"You should take it."_

Caia, already feeling guilty enough for following them around for hours, had refused to settle for them sleeping on the ground.

So, they had all decided to cram on; an uncomfortable compromise.

The ranger was out of the question, and made do with the floor.

It hadn't taken long for everybody else to fall asleep. The exhaustion Caia felt was clearly shared by everyone, but the anxiety managed to keep her awake.

 _What am I going to do?_

The day's events replayed in her head over and over again, keeping the same surrealism with it. Only the deep night seemed to wipe away some of the fog, convincing Caia that this was really happening.

She began to feel uncomfortable on the bed, where she could hardly move a muscle.

If Caia was this sheltered, how was she going to survive life in Middle Earth?

Craning her neck to look around her shoulder, Caia observed the faces of the four hobbits, each peacefully sleeping. Their chests rose and fall with their breathing, and Caia wondered how they were able to sleep after all that had happened.

Unable to stand laying on her side any longer, Caia quietly lifted the blankets from herself, slowly moving her legs off of the bed. As her feet touched the wooden ground she stood and approached the window, looking out of it mindlessly.

Her dark hair, lying on her shoulders, was suddenly too much to handle. As Caia went to pull a hair band from her wrist, however, she stopped.

The familiar black hair tie wasn't on her wrist.

This small inconvenience was enough for her stomach to clench.

Caia sat on the windowsill, leaning against the wall with a deep sigh. Her eyelids were heavy, but she couldn't shake the anxiety that was coursing through her head.

They would go to Rivendell next. The wizard would be there.

That was all that she could remember.

Watching a man walk down the street, a bag slung over his shoulder, Caia's mind grabbed onto any hope that it could find.

 _Maybe Gandalf will be able to help me._

She glanced back at the hobbits, who had already spread out to claim the space that Caia had left behind.

 _Until then, I'll keep everything a secret._

Turning her head back towards the window and letting it rest against the wall, Caia felt some semblance of relief.

She had a plan.

* * *

A small shake to her shoulder jolted Caia awake. Immediately turning her head, her eyes met Strider's.

"Come," he said, retracting his hand. "We must leave quickly."

Caia's voice came out broken from her heavy sleep. "Okay."

The ranger turned and walked off, leaving Caia to assess her surroundings. All four of the Hobbits were already awake, dragging themselves to their feet.

 _I forgot I was really here._

Caia pushed herself off of the windowsill, grimacing slightly at the ache that spread throughout her head and back. Sleeping against the wall hadn't been a great idea. With a glance out of the window at the lifting dark, Caia could tell that it was hardly dawn. They had not slept long.

Stretching her back slightly, she sighed.

"Next time I'll take the windowsill," Sam remarked from next to her, a tinge of humor coloring his words.

Caia couldn't help a small smile. Sam was a delight.

"We'll see," she shot back.

Because Caia had nothing on her, she just waited for a few minutes as everybody gathered their things. All she had with her were her clothes. And even then, Caia had no shoes.

 _I don't want to walk barefoot all day._

Exiting Bree didn't take long. They brought the ranger's horse with them, who carried the brunt of the bags. Following a few windy roads was hardly difficult, but as they made the transition from walking on stone roads to fields, some rockier than others, Caia began to find the trek more difficult.

She had hardly ever gone hiking before.

The rest of the group didn't seem to have much of a problem making their way into the unknown. Though Caia had expected walking to be slow, and it was, Bree soon began to fade in the distance until it was swallowed by the horizon. The ground was hilly, and as they climbed the hills, the air began to grow colder and colder. Caia shivered, hugging herself in an attempt to keep warm.

The sun was high up in the cloudless sky, but its warmth couldn't quite reach them. Caia struggled to keep up with the group, legs aching and wobbly from exhaustion.

The Hobbits eventually came to a stop and Caia did as well, grateful for the small break.

Whispering between themselves, the four began looking through their bags.

The ranger stopped a few feet ahead and looked back, observing the scene with a twinge of confusion.

"We do not stop until nightfall," he called, gaining the attention of the Hobbits.

Pippin looked up at the ranger. "What about breakfast?" He asked.

Strider was quick to reply. "You've already had it."

"We've had one, yes," Pippin said matter-of-factly. "What about second breakfast?"

The man turned around without another word, and Caia couldn't tell if he was more annoyed or confused as he continued to walk.

As Merry and Pippin entered a small debate, there was a tap on Caia's arm.

She turned to see Frodo holding out a brown cloak. "You look cold," he said simply.

Caia relaxed a little bit and took the cloak from him, smiling a little. "I am. Thanks," she un-wadded the thick brown fabric and draped it around herself, fastening it in front of her neck. The small gesture of kindness made filled her stomach with a small warmth of gratitude.

And with that, the journey continued.

Crossing over more rocky terrain over the next few hours left Caia tired and sore. The day was long, filled only with walking for two days.

As their journey continued, Caia's anxiety rose.

She knew what was going to happen.

The wraiths would find them again, and Frodo would be stabbed. Caia couldn't help debating within herself about whether or not she should intervene. Was it her place to try and change fate? Would she even be able to change anything?

Despite Caia's efforts back at the inn, the ring had still landed on Frodo's finger. Who was to say that she would have any power over _Nazgul?_

 _Who am I to try to be a heroine?_

Nearing the end of their second day of walking, the decrepit stone structure appeared in the distance. In its rumbled state, the tower still managed to hold a magnificence that Caia had never before seen.

"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," Strider's voice was mellow. "We shall rest here tonight."

Caia's jaw clenched, but she didn't dare say a word. Her heart thundered with a nervous anticipation as she followed the others in climbing her way up towards the tower.

Dropping their bags, nobody wasted time in taking a much-needed break once they reached the tower, sitting against the stone with heavy breaths. The sun was setting in the sky, spreading about orange and red that struggled to be seen between dark clouds. The wind was slightly rougher than usual, whispering warnings that only Caia could hear.

Strider kneeled and set down a mystery item covered in a blanket. He uncovered five swords.

"These are for you," he said, tossing one sword to everybody, Caia included. She caught the heavy weapon with wide-eyes, the weight pushing her back slightly. "Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. Stay here."

With that, the ranger began to walk away. Caia's breathing sped up slightly, her heartbeat quickening in sync.

 _We're going to be attacked tonight._

Strider had only walked a few yards when Caia stood up quickly, holding onto the sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and hurried behind him. Before she could stop to think her actions through she had caught up, grabbing onto his sleeve.

The ranger turned and regarded Caia with narrowed eyes, confused. "I told you to stay there. I won't be long."

Caia opened her mouth, unsure of how to reply. She stood still for a second, resembling a deer in headlights, before she managed to give a reply.

"Is it safe?" She asked, speaking slightly faster than usual in her anxiety. "I- I don't know how to use this."

The ranger's expression softened, and he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Fret not," he said. "Keep quiet and nobody will know we are here."

It seemed that he had misinterpreted her words slightly, but Caia was unable to reply, and simply gave a meek nod, eyes lowering.

"Stay close to the halflings," Strider instructed, pulling his hand back, "and don't wander off."

Caia nodded once more and turned back around, making her way back to the watchtower. Once her feet hit the cold stone, she sat back down by the Hobbits, setting the heavy sword down next to her. Merry and Pippin were fiddling with pebbles, holding a conversation between themselves about this and that.

"Are you alright?" Frodo asked, regarding Caia with concern.

She turned towards him, eyebrows furrowed. "I don't feel safe," she told him simply, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Frodo looked away, eyes gazing off into the distance.

"I don't, either."

* * *

A shrill shrieking awoke Caia. She scrambled to sit up, eyes wide as the familiar screeching awoke fear throughout her entire body.

 _When did I fall asleep?_

"Go!" Frodo shouted, voice ablaze with panic.

Caia hardly had time to think before stood up quickly and grabbed her sword, stumbling up stairs behind the frantic Hobbits. As they reached the top of the tower the five clumped together, swords unsheathed.

Caia couldn't help the strangled whimper that left her throat as she pressed herself closer to the halflings. All of her instincts were screaming at her to run, but there was nowhere to go. They were prey anxiously awaiting the arrival of their predators.

The night was dark, evil thickly lacing the very ground that they stood on.

Caia could hardly breathe.

 _They're coming._

The sound of a sword being unsheathed froze Caia's heart and she whipped around, eyes meeting the void that was the wraith's face. It held a long sword in its hand. Unearthly tall and radiating darkness, Caia began to tremble. In the presence of this creature, she was no more than an ant to be stepped on.

Five ringwraiths approached the group, holding their swords upright in front of them, condemning them to death without words.

Sam held up his sword and Caia could see him go rigid as he shouted. "Back, you devils!" before lunging forward. The sharp sounds of swords clashing lasted but a few seconds before he was thrown aside, falling to the ground.

Merry and Pippin stood pressed together in front of Frodo and Caia, and were thrown aside with ease, yelling as they, too, fell.

Frodo dropped his sword to the ground and began to back up as the discarded weapon clanged loudly against the stone. He stumbled and fell down backwards. As if in some sort of momentary trance, he reached into his pocket.

The gold of the ring caught the gleam of moonlight, sending a white-hot panic down Caia's spine, enabling her to move.

With tears falling from her eyes, Caia abandoned her sword as well, flying towards Frodo. A single wraith followed behind, striding forwards as it unsheathed its sword.

Caia grabbed onto Frodo and pulled him backwards, the two of them stumbling until their backs hit stone.

 _I can't let this happen._

The Nazgul held up its sword, the blade pointed straight at Frodo, who began to whimper slightly, finger positioned in front of the ring. The situation was quickly sliding out of control, and Caia's mind was too clouded to come up with a solution. She gripped Frodo's arm tightly, eyes darting back and forth between the Hobbit and the Nazgul.

A voice echoed throughout Caia's head, words she could not understand speaking evil to her, and she ripped her hand away from Frodo to clutch at her head with a gasp.

 _Thrakatul_ _û_ _k... Agh burzum-ishi krimpantul…_

Caia shrieked as an intense pain seared throughout her head, the words repeating themselves. She hardly noticed that Frodo had vanished beside her until the Nazgul paused for a second.

 _Thrakatul_ _û_ _k..._

"No!" Caia screamed, scrambling to her feet. Fueled by a sudden terror that she did not understand, she leapt at the Nazgul, shoving at its hands in an attempt to stop it from stabbing Frodo.

 _Agh burzum-ishi krimpantul…_

"Don't touch him!"

Caia's voice was hardly her own as it filled the night air. To her dismay, however, she was shoved aside so roughly that her head smacked into the wall. Her vision fuzzed, black spotting over everything as she went. The voice in her mind only grew louder.

A spiked hand wrapped itself around Caia's arm, the sharp points digging into her skin.

 _Ash tharakatul!_

Screams filled the air.

* * *

 **And here we have it! An update.**

 **I tried to hint at some of the underlying plot (not very subtly, might I add), and I really hope that it adds an extra layer to this story. The italicized parts near the end of this chapter are Black Speech.**

 **They translate as: _..to bring them all.. and in the darkness bind them._ And _bring the one!_ respectively. **

**I think I've said in a previous note that I'm not very experienced with writing action. I hope it isn't too obvious in this chapter, and I'm sorry if it is, but I gave it all I've got, so for now it'll have to do.**

 **Thank you so so much to jacquie1122, dinopoodle, and Corii00 for leaving reviews! Every time I read what you guys have to say I feel so happy. I can't express how glad I am that you guys are enjoying this story. I have a really hard time sharing my writing, even with my closest friends, so your kind words mean the world to me. 3**

 **Also- I realized that I've been spelling Bree as Brie. I'm so sorry! Honestly, how embarrassing.. English isn't really my first language, so please excuse mistakes like that. I try not to mess up, but I still do sometimes.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please drop a review and let me know what you think! It really means a lot to me.**

 **See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Howling ghosts, they reappear_

 _In mountains that are stacked with fear_

* * *

The second Caia's arm was released her legs gave out, sending the girl crashing to her knees, cradling her head with eyes clamped shut.

The voice within her head was gone.

Strider's shouts were a relief more than welcome. He yelled, and the shrieks of Nazgul began to fade among the clashing of swords.

Caia slowly sat up, nausea coursing throughout her body. Her arm burned, but she hardly registered the pain as she looked around. Frodo re-appeared out of the blue, a wrangled scream of pain emitting from him.

"Mr. Frodo!"

Caia scrambled to her feet, panicked, and ran over to him, but Sam beat her there. He grabbed Frodo's hand, who was whimpering as he stared at Sam with teary eyes. "Oh, Sam.."

Coming to a stop above him, Caia felt the weight of her failure crash onto her shoulders.

"No, no," she mumbled, sitting down beside him.

 _I failed. Again._

Merry and Pippin soon arrived, crowding around the ringbearer as Strider fought off the rest of the wraiths with a torch. "Strider!" Sam called, his voice ablaze with terror. "Help him!"

The ranger ran over and picked up a sword that lay beside Frodo, staring at it.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade," he remarked, voice surprisingly calm. The sword disintegrated in his hand, and Strider dropped it. Immediately he picked up Frodo, who continued to scream. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."

Everybody followed the ranger, who descended the tower and ran into the forest. Frodo's screams never ceased for more than a second, and Caia's guilt was overpowering. She hadn't changed a thing.

"Hurry!" The ranger called back at them, voice harsh.

"We're six days from Rivendell!" Sam shouted, pulling Strider's horse behind him. "He'll never make it!"

Caia's heart was in her throat. She knew that the ringbearer would survive in the end, but she still couldn't help the worry that threaded her thoughts.

 _I could have stopped this._

Nazguls shrieked in the distance. They were still coming.

* * *

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam placed a hand on the ringbearer's cheek, who was wrapped in blankets, eyes fogging over. "He's going cold!"

Frodo's groans seemed to echo throughout the forest, which whispered darkness in response. They were not safe.

"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked, drawing the attention of everyone else around them. The worry in his voice played on the accountability that Caia felt. She kept her mouth shut, though she wanted nothing more than to reassure.

Strider, who had been looking between trees, turned to Pippin.

"He's passing into the shadow world. He will soon become a wraith, like them."

Frodo screamed once again, and a loud howling sounded throughout the forest, echoing between the trees. Caia's heart thumped. Her anxiety only continued to rise, and she felt as if she would be sick at any second.

Caia looked down at Frodo, who's face was twisted with pain.

 _I'm sorry._

Without thinking, Caia turned towards Sam. "I'm sorry," she echoed, voicing her thoughts. "I- I tried to stop them. There was nothing I could do."

Sam looked right into Caia's eyes and laid a hand atop her shoulder. "It's not your fault," he said, though his voice harbored fear. "We all tried-"

"Sam," the ranger cut him off, approaching quickly. "Do you know the plant Athelas?"

"Athelas?" Sam repeated, clearly confused.

Strider paused for a split second before adding, "Kingsfoil."

"Kingsfoil," Sam's voice lit up in recognition. "Aye, it's a weed!"

"It may help to slow the poisoning," the ranger said. "Come."

Sam sent Caia a quick look before he hurried off, leaving Caia alone with Merry, Pippin, and Frodo.

Guilt still festering inside of her, Caia sat beside the ringbearer, taking in his ashen face and fogged blue eyes. She held onto her still aching arm, jumping at any rustle. The wraiths could have been anywhere.

This world was cruel and unforgiving.

Nobody dared to speak a word as Frodo grunted in pain, writhing on the ground. Caia was beginning to realize just how dangerous her situation was. Even if she had prevented Frodo from getting hurt, anybody else may have been stabbed in his place. She remembered the wraith's grip on her arm and shuddered, reaching up place a hand on the sore area.

Why had it grabbed her like that?

Caia looked down at Frodo as her mind wandered. She was in a place where her life could easily be taken from her.

 _I need to be more careful. Acting like a heroine will only get me killed._

Interrupting Caia's thoughts were the sound of hooves beating against the ground. She looked up, heart soaring in relief, as a magnificent white horse emerged from the trees. The elf that sat atop it was beautiful, and she seemed to ward away some of the darkness without even trying. She gracefully slid from her horse and kneeled by Frodo.

Her arrival prompted Merry, Pippin to stand, backing up slightly, and Caia followed.

"Frodo," she whispered, her voice soft. _"Im Arwen. Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad."_

Frodo coughed weakly, chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.

"Who is she?" Merry whispered, eyes wide.

Sam's reply conveyed disbelief. "She's an elf."

Strider came rushing back with a plant in hand, which he began to rip the stems off of, pulling up Frodo's shirt as he did so.

"He's fading," the elf said, eyes filled with concern. "He's not going to last. We must get him to my father."

The ranger didn't respond. He placed a small leaf of the plant into Frodo's wound. It had begun to irritate the surrounding skin, turning purple. Caia couldn't help the shudder she felt at seeing the affliction.

Strider lifted Frodo up and stood, the elf following. "I've been looking for you for two days," she said as they hurried over to her horse.

"Where are you taking him?" Sam demanded.

His question went unanswered as the ranger and the elf continued talking between themselves. "There are five wraiths behind you," she told him. "Where the other four are, I do not know."

Strider hoisted Frodo up onto the horse with ease. The ringbearer managed to sit upright, his head hanging. Leaning against the horse slightly, the ranger turned to the elf, and they began conversing in Elvish.

Their responses to each other sounded slightly frantic, as if they could not decide on something, and Caia watched them speak, unsure of what to think. "What are they saying?" Pippin wondered aloud, his question falling on deaf ears.

The pair continued to speak to each other, and the elf laced a bit of English into her words.

"I do not fear them."

All went quiet for just a few seconds. The elf turned and scanned across the rest of the group quickly. When her eyes landed on Caia, they lingered for a moment with an emotion that Caia could not discern. The elf turned back to Strider and added something else, causing the ranger to look back at Caia as well, a frown on his face.

Her heard thudded, a sudden bout of anxiety coloring her thoughts.

 _Are they talking about me?_

They spoke for a few seconds more and the ranger nodded, before stepping aside. The elf jumped up onto the horse behind Frodo.

"Arwen," Strider said lowly. "Ride hard. Don't look back."

Arwen leaned towards her horse and whispered in elvish, causing the creature to begin galloping forward, leaving between the trees. The elf was gone as quickly as she had arrived.

"What are you _doing?!_ " Sam demanded. "Those wraiths are still out there!"

The ranger fell into a short silence before looking back at the remaining four.

"Come," he said. "We must hurry to Rivendell."

Caia's blood was still cold with confusion from the look that Arwen had given her. As she hurried behind the group, struggling to keep up in her exhaustion, her mind raced.

 _Does she know I'm not from here?_

* * *

The trek to Rivendell was long and quiet. The Hobbits rarely shared their concerns for Frodo, as if it were bad luck to mention him. Caia kept her mouth firmly shut, though she felt her resolve beginning to crumble.

What was going to happen to her after she arrived at Rivendell?

What if her plan fell through, and Gandalf knew nothing about what had happened to her?

 _I can't stay in this world._

Though the way Arwen had looked at her made Caia uncomfortable, she held onto it as a sliver of hope. Maybe there was somebody who knew something.

Caia's suspicion that Strider and Arwen had briefly spoken about her was confirmed when the ranger asked her a question near the end of their journey to Rivendell.

"Have you ever seen elves?" He asked one night.

Caia looked up at him and shook her head. There was an almost unnoticeable furrow to his eyebrows at her response.

"You have never been to Rivendell," it was as if he was affirming this to himself.

"No," Caia said simply.

The ever-present silence fell over them again.

 _What did she say to him?_

* * *

Rivendell was much more gorgeous in person than Caia could have imagined. It stood as a beacon amidst the forest, emanating a bright light that kept darkness at bay. It was nothing like Caia had ever seen back at home, and she found herself gaping at everything beautiful.

Upon learning that Frodo was sleeping and on the mend everybody's mood instantly lifted. Merry and Pippin released shouts of glee and they pulled Sam into a massive hug. Even Caia, who had known all along that the ringbearer would survive, couldn't hold back a large smile.

She took a few seconds to sit by Frodo, his visible improvement soothing the guilt that had festered within her over the last few days. His complexion had returned and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Caia sat for a few seconds, her mind wandering far.

 _I'm in Rivendell._

 _What comes after this?_

Looking down at the Hobbit, Caia pressed her lips together slightly.

She couldn't keep weighing them down. Standing up, Caia bid the ringbearer one last look before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"And who might you be?"

Caia turned with a slight jump, eyes wide. Her heart jumped in her chest with a spur of relief.

 _Gandalf._

He was taller than Caia had expected. Long, gray hair cascaded down his cloak, which was rumpled. Though Caia couldn't exactly remember why, she knew that he had been held up with one of the evil wizards. With Gandalf standing in front of her, Caia no longer knew what to say. There was a lump in her throat, trying to prevent her from seeking help.

"You are acquainted with Frodo?" He asked, leaning on his wooden staff slightly.

Caia kept quiet for a few seconds more before urgency overfell her.

"I need your help," the words tumbled out of her mouth.

The wizard released a small sigh, an emotion that Caia could not discern clouding his eyes.

"I suspected you would," he said, standing back up straighter. "Come. We have much to discuss."

Caia's heart thundered with hope.

 _He knows something._

* * *

 **Hello again! I'm back with an update.**

 **I'm not going to lie, I'm not super proud of this chapter. I went back and read through it and edited it as much as I could to make it sound better, but I'm worried that it still isn't great. I hope I'm just being too self-critical.**

 **Next chapter is going to have a lot of explanations. A lot is going to be revealed, and I hope everyone is ready for it! I'm really excited to be writing this, and I can't wait to continue. I hope that reading this story is a joy as well.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please drop a review telling me what you think. It absolutely makes my day to hear what my readers have to say.**

 **I hope everybody is doing well.**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

_And they won't wait,_

 _We're here to stay_

* * *

Caia felt herself growing smaller by the second as she sat across from Elrond. Gandalf was standing in the corner of the room. A tension hung in the air that threatened to suffocate Caia. She couldn't help the questions nibbling at the back of her mind.

Was she in some sort of trouble?

"My daughter had informed me of your arrival," the elf finally spoke. "What is your name?"

Caia sat rigid with a mixture of anxiety and confusion. "Caia," her voice was slightly meek, but she still continued. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Elrond's eyes narrowed at her words. "You do not?"

A lump formed in Caia's throat as she opened her mouth, stopping any words from coming out. She closed her mouth again and shook her head.

Working past her apprehension, she added, "I shouldn't be here."

The elf looked up and locked eyes with Gandalf. It was as if the two were silently speaking to each other. Caia fiddled with the fabric of her shirt, feeling as if there was something that she was missing.

"Amatúlië," at the sound of Elrond's voice, Caia looked back up to meet his gaze. "Do you know what this word means?" Caia shook her head, and the elf continued. "It is the elvish word for a blessed arrival."

Elrond stood up and looked out of a window, continuing to speak. "Our world is being destroyed by the second. The very second that the ring of power was forged, the annihilation began. Darkness is crawling out of the shadows, unstopped, eating everything alive everything that we know to be good. The essence of this darkness lives among us every day. One could that the spirit of good and evil is alive."

Lips pressed together, Caia stayed quiet as the elf continued. "The light that is being driven away must find a place to go, lest the rest of it being demolished. It found sanctuary within a group of men largely unknown to the common people. And with those men it continues to stay with the hope that the ring of power is destroyed, and with it the evil that plagues these lands."

Caia nodded as she met eyes with Elrond, trying her best to keep up with his words.

"Just as the ring of power has a resolve, bending fate as it will using evil, so do these people who had found a way to harness the light that is being driven out of this world. The Amatúlië," He paused for a moment. "So, would the dark lord not want these people demolished?"

"After searching for an unimaginable amount of time, the Amatúlië were found, and nearly eradicated. Only one managed to escape the fate of the dark lord, by simply vanishing off the face of Middle Earth."

Elrond's gaze locked onto Caia with an intensity that almost caused her to shudder. "Until now."

Going still, Caia's mind struggled to make sense of the elf's words. Though she understood what he was trying to say, her mind could not comprehend his suggestion as being true.

"She has returned to us," Gandalf finally spoke, drawing Caia's attention. "Though we do not understand how."

Caia took a few seconds to think, trying to find a way to voice her confusion. "I really don't think.." she began, before stopping halfway through her sentence. "I've never been to Middle Earth."

In response to this, Elrond reached into a pocket and pulled out a small cloth, which seemed to be wrapped around something. He set it down on the table in front of Caia and gestured at it without a word.

Almost suspicious, Caia couldn't help the slight furrow in her eyebrows.

 _This is ridiculous. I'm in a fictional world._

 _There's absolutely no way that this could be true._

However, for reasons she could not understand, Caia still unwrapped the cloth, finding within it a necklace. The chain was a thin silver, holding on it a pendant that was small and green. Reaching out with her fingers, Caia gently brushed her fingertips among the tiny gem.

A searing pain followed immediately, and Caia ripped her arm back, shutting her eyes tightly. A pair of voices that she did not recognize filled her head.

* * *

" _Eccaia. They are coming. Quickly, we must go."_

" _What are we going to do?"_

" _We have to get away from here."_

* * *

"Does it speak to you?" Elrond's question brought Caia back to her senses..

Caia managed to open her eyes, looking down at the necklace once again. "What is it?" She asked, voice quiet.

"It belonged to one of the many who were found by the dark lord's forces," the elf said. "It holds the secrets of that fateful night, which are only known to those who were there. In order for the Amatúlië to survive, they opened a tear in this world, allowing for one to escape temporarily to a safer world. Your time there has run out."

An overwhelming confusion bubbled up in Caia's stomach as she sat at the table, forlorn. Even the sun, which was shining down on her, seemed to be holding secrets from her.

 _There's no way that any of this can be true._

Caia stiffened slightly as a connection was made inside her head.

 _They found me at a church when I was little._

 _I was abandoned._

"As the only of your kind to have escaped, your fate is bound to that of the one ring," Gandalf stepped forward, his voice grave. "The balance of Middle Earth can only be restored with the destruction of the ring of power. Your people have long shouldered part of this burden. And now, you are the only one left."

Heart pounding with anxiety, Caia finally looked up from her lap, eyes meeting those of the wizard. Though he was serious, she caught a spark of empathy in his demeanor.

"I don't understand," she breathed, gripping the fabric of her shirt tightly.

"We are running out of time. We all are," Elrond stood back up. "The ring must be destroyed. We cannot force you to make any decisions."

 _They want me to help destroy it._

With the sudden addition of a heavy weight atop her shoulders, Caia began to find it hard to breathe.

* * *

Caia sat beside Frodo at the council. The ringbearer had woken up earlier that day, but Caia had not seen him until they were summoned to the council. Besides giving him a smile and a genuine "I'm glad you're okay," Caia had been too occupied to make much conversation.

Caia shouldn't have been sitting among these people.

She had expected to hear that there was a way for her to return to Earth. Instead, the fate of a world that she could not remember was shackled to her feet, slowing her down.

 _There's no way I can survive the Fellowship. They're insane to think otherwise._

Voices were speaking among each other, waiting for the secret council to start. The air was surprisingly warm. A breeze tousled Caia's hair slightly, but it did nothing to comfort her while she stared down at her lap. She couldn't imagine living in a world so different from the one that she had known as home.

 _I'm not going with them._

"Has something happened?" Frodo asked quietly, concern fluttering through his eyes.

Caia shook her head, and as she did Elrond's voice sounded from the podium, causing everyone to go silent.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," he began, casting a grave look upon everybody present. "You've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor."

The stillness that fell held the gravity of the situation, causing a heavy tension to form within the air. Caia tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she felt the gazes of strangers landing upon her; a black sheep.

She didn't belong here.

"Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction," Elrond continued. "None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." Eyes landing on the ringbearer, Elrond gestured towards the small table in the middle of the circle. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

Slowly, the halfling stood and walked towards the table, the ring clutched tightly in his fist. Gently, he placed the band atop the stone structure, causing a wave of whispers to emerge from the surprised onlookers.

Even just looking at the ring prompted Caia's head to smart. The evil emanated from the ring, as if it wasn't even trying to hide it. The ringbearer sat back down with a quiet sigh, careful not to break the silence that had fallen over the room. All eyes were laid upon the root of all evil within Middle Earth.

Looking upon a scene from a fictional movie as reality had Caia's head spinning as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that this was real.

She was really stuck in a world that was rushing to meet its end.

"It is a gift," one man whispered, drawing the attention of all around him. His eyes held a fiery ambition, clearly unaware of the doom that followed the ring. Caia twisted uncomfortably in her seat as he continued to speak, voice growing louder.

 _I remember him._

"A gift to the foes of Mordor!" He stood up and paced around with excitement. "Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of _our_ people are your lands kept safe." The man met eyes with everyone around the room quickly as he emphasized his words.

 _What was his name?_

"Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" A smile was beginning to grow on his face.

Caia could feel Frodo tensing beside her and she glanced at him for a split second.

"You cannot wield it," Strider intervened. "None of us can."

Turning around slowly to meet eyes with Strider, the man said nothing as he continued. "The ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

Standing up swiftly, the familiar blond elf interrupted the brewing argument with a steely voice. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

At his words, Caia bit the inside of her cheek with frustration. How had she forgotten _Aragorn's_ name?

All eyes fell on Aragorn, who clenched his jaw slightly, as if uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

"Aragorn?" Boromir repeated, surprised. "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," The elf added.

Aragorn shook his head. " _Havo dad,_ Legolas," he said, prompting Legolas to sit down slowly.

The air was tense as the man turned to Aragorn with hard eyes. "Gondor has no king," he simply stated, walking back towards his seat. "Gondor needs no king." Without another word he sat back down, posture much more rigid than before.

Gandalf sighed. "Aragorn is right," he said. "We cannot use it."

"You have only one choice," Elrond stood back up, once again looking around the group. "The ring must be destroyed."

The ring seemed to fume at this statement, almost as if it had a personality of its own. Everybody's eyes fell onto the band, which seemed to be dripping with evil.

Something inside Caia twisted as she stared at the golden ring.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" One of the dwarves, whose voice Caia remembered from the movies, stood up and gripped the handle of his axe. With a shout he lifted the weapon above the head and brought it back down. There was a loud smash, and in a split second, the dwarf had fallen backwards, surrounded by the broken bits of what previously was the axe of his blade.

Frodo flinched backwards at the impact, and Caia couldn't help staring at the scene with wide eyes, though she had known all along that it would happen.

Though this had occurred directly in front of her face, it was hard for Caia to believe that this was actually real.

Almost as if unfazed, Elrond continued to speak. "The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by by any craft we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade."

Caia could just barely remember Mount Doom from the movies, situated in the middle of the most dangerous place that she could imagine being. She shuddered at the image of the bubbling lava as she stared at the ring.

This wasn't her problem to fix.

"One of you must do this."

Rubbing his temples in annoyance, Boromir interrupted the silence that had blanketed over the room. "One does not simply walk into Mordor."

He looked up, casting a stern look across the room. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful." He shook his head as he continued speaking. "Not with ten-thousand men could you do this."

Legolas once again stood up in a flash. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" He demanded. "The ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it!" Gimli snapped, glaring at the elf.

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir was yelling at this point, voice booming throughout the council. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

Voice raising to a shout, Gimli stood up. "I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!"

Yells fell over the room as nearly everybody in the room shot to their feet, getting into each other's faces. Caia was sitting rigid, mouth going dry as her heat smarted as a result of the shouting. Gandalf's attempts at stopping the arguments were useless.

Caia lifted a hand to her head and sighed deeply, breathing heavily. Her eyes fell upon the golden ring, which seemed to be pining for her attention.

It was as if the shouting suddenly began to muffle as Caia focused solely on the band. Whispering began to bubble up in her head, words she could not understand prickling at the back of her head.

" _Eccaia.."_

Caia's eyes were stuck on the ring. No matter how much she tried, she could not avert her gaze. Heart pounding rapidly in anxiety, the whispers seemed to grow louder, as if feeding on her fear.

" _Eccaia.._

 _We have found you."_

Caia jolted with a gasp at the words that echoed in her head, immediately placing a hand to her heart as a shock coursed through her body.

It was as if she could see her fate, shrouded within darkness.

"They're going to find me," she muttered to herself with wide eyes, struggling to catch her breath.

Before Caia had time to calm the terror filling her veins, Frodo stood up next to her, a determination she had never heard coating his words.

"I will take it!" He exclaimed, voice small among the shouting within the council.

Caia stared at him from her seat, wide-eyed.

Something about his proclamation was much more awe-inspiring than she could have imagined.

"I will take the ring to Mordor," he repeated, his eyes meeting Gandalf's. Everybody in the room had turned to look at him, surprise etched onto their faces.

"Though.. I do not know the way."

Gandalf nodded slightly and walked over to Frodo, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," he said, "as long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn, who had remained sitting through all of the fighting, stood up. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." He approached Frodo and kneeled in front of the Hobbit. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas joined the forming group.

Caia felt her heart in her throat as she watched the scene play out, mind running miles.

 _What am I going to do?_

"And my axe," Gimli added, walking over as well.

The ring continued to whisper to Caia. The voices that she had heard as a result of the pendant haunted her mind.

" _Eccaia. We must leave quickly."_

Desperation swarmed her system.

" _Your fate is bound to that of the ring."_

"You carry the fates of us all, little one," Boromir chimed in, approaching the growing Fellowship. "It this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

Unable to stop herself, Caia shot up from her seat with a sudden vitality, chair scraping against the ground.

As the gazes of all present fell upon her, her shoulders began to droop with the weight of her decision.

 _I'm going to die._

"I don't really have much to offer," she felt obligated to say something, meeting eyes with the ringbearer, "but I know that I can help. So, I'll come, too."

And with that, her fate was sealed.

Boromir scoffed slightly, drawing Caia's attention.

"A woman will follow us to _Mordor?_ " He said, unbelieving.

Frustration coursed through Caia's veins as she glared at the man, a spark of determination firing up within her. "Yes," she snapped. "A woman will follow you to Mordor."

And with that, she made her way to the Fellowship, stomach overturning as she tried to ignore the shocked looks that were weighing down upon her.

 _This is stupid. I'm going to die._

"Hey!" There was a loud rustle, drawing the attention away from Caia, and Sam raced up onto the platform with the others. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," he stated, coming to a stop next to the ringbearer. He looked slightly frazzled.

"No, indeed, it's hardly possible to separate you two even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond raised an eyebrow at Sam, who shifted on his feet.

"Hey! We're coming, too!" Merry shouted as he raced out from behind a pillar, followed closely by Pippin. Elrond's eyes followed them as Merry continued, standing by Frodo. "You'll have to send us home tied in a sack to stop us."

"Anyway," Pippin added, standing up straight. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of.. mission- quest. Thing."

"Well that rules you out, Pip," Merry snarked at his friend, causing a slight smile to form on Caia's face.

Elrond looked over the group, speaking slowly. "Ten companions."

"So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

A sense of finality settled in the bottom of Caia's stomach. There was no turning back now.

"Great," Pippin grinned, excitement shining through his voice, before he added an unsure, "Where are we going?"

The room fell silent again.

* * *

 **Oh my goodness, writing this was so difficult. I've had the idea for the Amatúlië in my head for a while now, but trying to explain it in words was difficult. I spent three entire days trying to get it right, so I really hope that it makes sense to everybody. This chapter is supposed to explain a chunk of what's going on, but definitely not everything! So if you still have questions that's good, because that's how it should be.**

 **There is a chance that I failed to explain something correctly, though, so if you do have questions please please ask. I want to make sure that I get this right, and I will revise this chapter if I've messed up with the explanations.**

 **I understand that having to read the entire section with the council was probably boring for you all, but it really was necessary to set up why exactly Caia ended up going with the Fellowship. In my opinion, most people wouldn't just risk their life for anything, so there had to be a reason as to why she was joining them.**

 **A big big thanks to yasminasfeir1 for leaving a review on my last chapter! I really appreciate you leaving your feedback on this story. It means a lot to me to know what everybody is thinking. ^^**

 **I hope the wait for this chapter was worth it. At least it's a little bit longer than usual, right?**

 **Anyways, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed! If so, please consider leaving a review with what you thought. Readers' feedback really helps shape stories into making them the best that they can be.**

 **See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Knock knock, I knew it then_

 _The water has already been spilled_

* * *

Caia sat silently on the bed in her room, staring down at her hands. The council had ended a number of hours ago, and she hadn't been able to get herself to stop thinking about the day's events.

" _Just as the ring of power has a resolve, bending fate as it will using evil, so do these people who had found a way to harness the light that is being driven out of this world."_

Spreading her hands out, palms facing upwards, Caia frowned. There had never been anything special about her, especially not to suggest that she was even remotely capable of anything otherworldly.

 _To harness light._

What did that mean?

Caia closed her eyes as they began to sting, and found her vision blurred by tears after opening them once more.

Even the beauty of Rivendell wasn't enough to tempt her to relax.

This was not a world which was familiar to her. Caia was stranded in unknown lands which were supposed to be her home. All that she could do to combat the feelings of despair and abandonment was commit herself to a quest that would more than likely end in her death.

"This is all ridiculous," she muttered after a deep sigh, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves.

Where did she really belong?

Eager to distract herself, Caia stood up and smoothed out the blankets of the bed that she had been sitting on. She turned and grabbed hold of a small bag that she had been given new clothes in upon her initial arrival to Rivendell. Upon a nightstand was the small pendant that Elrond had given her.

 _The last of my people._

Picking up the necklace gingerly, Caia inspected the deep green gem, almost expecting it to fill her with some sort of resolve. Instead, she felt as if she was holding onto something that didn't belong her. Caia debated dropping the necklace within the bag but decided against it, instead opting to put it on.

The necklace was cool against her skin, almost refreshing. And it wouldn't have been given to her if it didn't belong to her.

Clearly, there was nothing to be gained by staying in Rivendell. The Fellowship had another night to spend among the elves before they were to embark on their journey. It was if Caia had been given the bare minimum amount of rest.

* * *

Later that night, as the sun began to set behind the horizon, Caia was slowly managing to eat. She was distracted by the concoction of oranges and reds splattered about the sky, its beauty glowing amidst the arrival of night.

The chairs were higher up than what she was used to, allowing Caia to kick her legs back and forth absentmindedly under the table as she ate, a way of fidgeting to relieve the slight anxiety that had followed her since her arrival to Middle Earth.

"Caia!"

Caia straightened up and turned around with a mouth full of food to see Pippin standing by the rest of the Hobbits, who were sitting in the grass. He waved her over.

"Do you want to eat with us?"

Unable to help the warmth that pillowed in the chest from Pippin's simple, but sweet offer, Caia nodded and slid off of her chair. She took her plate and walked over to the group, sitting down in the grass. She balanced her plate atop her legs and swallowed.

"Thanks," Caia said, fidgeting to try and sit more comfortably.

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, Merry spoke.

"Why are you going with us to Mordor?" He asked, causing Caia to pause, startled. She met his confused eyes as everybody seemingly ceased to move as well.

Caia's stomach twisted in discomfort, plate of food forgotten.

"I mean- it needs to happen, right?" She managed to force words out of her mouth. "I'm involved already, anyways. It's not like I can stay here."

"If you don't mind my asking," Sam piped up, stopping Merry's brewing interrogation, "why don't you just go home?"

Caia met his eyes for a moment before looking back at the sky, processing his question.

"I can't really go home. It's kind of a long story."

"Didn't Gandalf say you were from here, anyways?"

Caia almost choked as she whipped her head towards Pippin, wide-eyed, and her heart froze within her chest.

 _Did he know?_

"Pippin!" Merry exclaimed, whacking his friend on the arm with a fair amount of force. Pippin yelled in pain, and Sam let out a sigh.

Caia frowned, staring between the four Hobbits.

"Wait-" she stammered.

"I'm sorry!" Pippin interrupted her. "We heard Lord Elrond talking from outside, and listened in. We didn't mean to eavesdrop!"

Pressing her lips together, Caia fought the urge to avert her gaze to the ground. She suddenly felt singled out, like a black sheep.

She hadn't wanted everyone to know.

"Did all of you hear?" She asked, voice quieter than she would have liked.

Nobody said a word, confirming Caia's suspicions. She felt awkward, sitting among the silence with all eyes on her. The colors of the sunset were beginning to dull. Despite this, a small weight was lifted from Caia's shoulders.

 _At least I don't have to hide it from them._

Caia released a deep sigh. No wonder they had been asking her those questions.

"Honestly, I really don't care," she stated, feeling herself relax slightly. "If anything, I'm glad I don't have to hide it as much. But please don't tell anybody else, okay?"

Her question sparked a chorus of nods.

There was a short stillness, as if everybody was waiting for somebody to speak.

"Are you really from another world?" Frodo asked, finally breaking the tension. His voice was soft, as if he had been hesitating to ask.

Caia nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said. Her voice was awkward and quiet. Talking about her predicament was unexpected, and she found herself unsure of what to say. "I actually found myself here not long before we met. Like, five minutes after I woke up, I saw the riders."

They had done so much for Caia; she owed them at least a slight explanation.

"That explains why you were in the Shire," Merry commented, taking a bite from his apple. "And why you were wearing such odd clothing. Not many lasses wear trousers around these parts."

Caia's face heated up in embarrassment. "Well, it's normal where I come from. And you might as well get used to it, I'm not walking all the way to Mordor in a dress," she sat up a little, unable to help the sarcasm that laced her words.

She welcomed the change of subject with open arms. So did everybody else, it seemed.

"I wouldn't, either," Sam added with a snort, sending her a light-hearted smile.

The air grew lighter, and Caia felt her earlier discomfort beginning to fade. It was nice to be able to feel she could make friends, even in a place so unfamiliar and dangerous.

For the first time since arriving at Middle Earth, Caia didn't feel alone.

* * *

To her dismay, the next morning arrived quickly.

Caia had slept straight through the night. Even with the added burst of nerves in anticipation, her eyelids remained heavy. There was a slight chill to the air, as if trying to reinforce her anxiety through small shivers. The elvish clothing that she was given was much more comfortable than her old clothing, which was starting to wear heavily from what it had been through.

In a strange way, Caia had been almost reluctant to give up her old clothes, as if it would sever her ties with Earth.

But, Caia had shoes now, which would hopefully help protect the scrapes that she had received since waking up in the Shire.

Nobody said a word as the Fellowship gathered outside. Caia stood by the Hobbits, trying to force back the occasional yawn. Elves were gathered outside to see them off, but Caia was much too tired to completely register this.

It felt more like she was waking up early for vacation. Though Caia was aware of the danger that she would be in, it was as if it hadn't quite sunk in yet. She rubbed her arms underneath the cloak absentmindedly, trying to warm up amidst the rising sun.

As the Fellowship set out from Rivendell, everybody remained quiet. It was a struggle for Caia, who was still less accustomed to this sort of travel, to keep up as the terrain roughened. Rivendell was soon gone, and the temporary comfort it had provided disappeared with it. The scenery was absolutely stunning. The grass was greener than Caia could ever see. Even with the rocks and hills spread about, Middle Earth was a gorgeous place to be.

Mountains began to form, holding ruins of ancient buildings. History practically seeped from the ruins, captivating Caia in every way possible.

She had never been in a place where nature was allowed to live so freely.

As the daylight began to truly shine, Pippin's mood lightened. His energetic attitude was slightly contagious and lifted the general atmosphere between everybody else.

They were to stay west of the Misty Mountains for forty days until they reached the Gap of Rohan. After this, they would head straight to Mordor.

Caia found herself becoming accustomed to living and sleeping outside. Since Brie, she had slept on the ground outside several times. Living off of the land, however, was not something that she was used to. Caia had never witnessed the process of hunting, skinning, and immediately cooking an animal.

In many ways, she still felt like an outcast. But this feeling dwindled soon.

On their third day of walking, the Fellowship was taking a break atop a small, rocky mountain, when she was approached by Boromir.

"Have you skill with a sword? Or any weapon at all?"

Caia paused for a second, thinking his question over.

 _I'm guessing fencing in the first grade doesn't count._

"Not really," she finally replied, looking up at him as she answered. Though he had frustrated her during the council, Boromir hadn't been too demeaning to her at all, much to Caia's surprise.

"I figured as much," he nodded, before gesturing for her to stand. "Come. I have gathered two of the halflings, and I will teach you to wield a sword. You cannot expect to make it to Mordor, much less survive inside, if you are completely defenseless."

Caia had also found that Boromir liked to talk. Especially about Gondor.

"Okay," she stood up and followed him towards a small flat space in the rocks, where Merry and Pippin were waiting.

"Oh! Caia!" Pippin called with a good-natured grin. "Are you going to train with us as well?"

Sending a smile and a nod his way, Caia grabbed the sword that she had been given from Aragorn, who was sitting off to the side and watching. She suddenly felt embarrassed of the way she fumbled with the sword.

Boromir approached her, a slight frown on his face. "Unsheath your sword," he commanded.

She quickly complied.

"You want to hold the hilt in a way that gives you easy control of the sword," he spoke. "Move this hand up and be sure to straighten your shoulders. When you parry a more powerful hit, the force will push at your body as well. Falling over would not only be embarrassing, but deadly."

Trying to follow along with his words, Caia nodded, adjusting her grip and straightening her back out.

The feeling of the sword in her hands was absolutely unfamiliar.

"Good," Boromir nodded before moving on to the Hobbits. He began to demonstrate simple swings and parries, words flying past Caia too quickly for her to understand what exactly he was saying.

Without a warning, Boromir turned towards Caia, sword in hand, and swung the sword down at her.

With a small, uncharacteristic squeal, Caia awkwardly raised her sword to block his hit, the force of which sent her stumbling slightly. Boromir's sword went to strike at her side, which she fumbled to block with a gasp, eyes wide.

"The orcs of Mordor do not wait for to you to parry, Caia," he said pointedly, causing her to quickly shut her mouth in embarrassment.

"Okay," she said, stomach twisted into her throat. A slight determination filled her veins despite her discomfort.

 _He's right._

"Come at me again," Caia requested, pressing her lips together.

And so it began.

The practicing was arduous, but slightly refreshing. Something about the exercise distracted Caia from her predicament by giving her something to focus on. Her arms quickly became equivalent to jelly, but there was a certain amount of pride in knowing that she was learning to wield a sword from an expert.

Occasionally, Aragorn would give his opinions, whether it be a compliment or a suggestion to fix something. Though Caia was slightly more comfortable with wielding a weapon, she still found it embarrassing to be watched while making so many mistakes.

While striking at Pippin, Boromir's sword slid and cut at the halfling's hand. Pippin yelped and dropped his sword, shaking his hand and jumping up and down.

"Sorry!" Boromir called, bending over to check the Hobbit's hand.

"Get him!" Merry shouted, right as Pippin kicked at Boromir's stomach, sending the man stumbling in surprise. The two Hobbits tackled him down to the ground with a chorus of yells and cheers, pinning down his arms and legs.

Caia couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth through heavy breathing as Boromir struggled to break free with two halflings holding him down. Aragorn chuckled a few feet away from her.

Her attention was quickly stolen by Gimli's deep voice.

"It's just a wisp of clouds," he stated.

Looking back in the sky, Caia saw a dark mass in the sky, which seemed to be skittering around within itself. A foreboding feeling settled in her stomach, a lump of dread forming in her throat.

"It's moving fast," Boromir commented as he hoisted himself to his feet. "Against the wind."

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas exclaimed from where he was standing atop a rock.

Aragorn immediately reacted from next to Caia. "Hide!" He shouted.

A flame of desperation was lit inside Caia as the ranger tugged at her arm, sending her into motion. She ran over to grab the sheath to her sword, hands shaking with adrenaline as everybody around her struggled to take their belongings and find cover.

Caia grabbed a few scattered plates and, with her hands full, hurried over to a rock, throwing herself underneath it. She struggled to keep her breathing quiet as all went silent for only a few seconds.

The cawing of the birds soon filled the air as they circled around the rocks quickly and relentlessly. Their flapping winds were so loud that Caia flinched back against the rock behind her. Though it was only for a few minutes that they were there, Caia was shivering against the cold rock.

She hardly stifled a gasp as there was a sudden burn against her sternum. Caia's hand flew up to the pendant of her necklace, which was burning hotly against her skin so suddenly that she hardly had time to process the scalding pain.

Caia gripped it through her shirt, the heat of the pendant still seeping through the fabric and burning her hand quickly. She could barely stop herself from making any more movements, counting down the seconds until she could take it off.

 _What is this?_

 _What's it doing?_

The squealing birds stayed for a few seconds longer before rushing past the rocks and toward the distant horizon.

Everyone slowly came out of their hiding places as Caia scrambled up, whipping the necklace off and dropping it to the ground quickly, cradling her burned hand with a thundering heart.

The pendant lay on the stones obediently, not making a single move.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf hissed, anger filling his voice. "The passage South is being watched."

All eyes landed on the wizard, waiting for him to make a decision. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras!" He announced, looking up towards the mountain.

Someone approached Caia. She looked up at Legolas, who was holding the pendant in an outstretched hand. She hesitated to grab it and reached out, gently touching it.

It was completely cool.

She quickly took it and inspected the green gem, frowning.

"It burned me," Caia looked up at Legolas, showing him her scalded palm, which smarted with every movement.

The elf looked at her hand for a second, before meeting Caia's eyes. "It tries to protect you from Saruman," he said, voice ever smooth. "The wounds will not last."

Caia frowned as she glanced back down at her hand, confused.

The irritation had already begun to subside. The pendant lay in her hand as if it had never done a thing.

 _What is this thing?_

* * *

 **Aaaaand I'm back!**

 **This chapter was much easier to write than the last. I'm glad to see that I seemed to explain things well enough in Chapter Six! From what I can gather, everybody has the perfect balance between knowing some things, but also still having questions, and that is exactly what I wanted.**

 **A big big thank you to ColdOnePaul, yasminasfeir1, and NeoMulder for leaving a review on the last chapter! Every time I read what you guys have to say it makes me feel so happy. I'm so so glad that some people are actually enjoying this, because I'm having a blast writing it. The best of both worlds, am I right?**

 **Again, thanks so much for the reviews!**

 **I hope this chapter is as much fun to read as it was to write. Thank you to everybody who reads this story! Please leave a review with that you think. Feedback is the easiest way for me to know if I'm doing this right, and I really take into consideration what you guys say.**

 **See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

_One red petal, one red leaf_

 _The quantification of fantasy_

* * *

The pass into the mountains gradually became colder. Soon, the air began to have a bite to it, nipping at Caia's skin underneath her clothes. She shivered, and along with the rest of the Fellowship, began layering clothes in an attempt to retain more warmth.

As Legolas had predicted days before, the burn atop Caia's hand had healed surprisingly quickly. There were no signs of the previous wound.

Snow began to pile up on the ground, making their trek that much more difficult. Every time the white powder made contact with her skin she flinched, breath coming out as a white puff and pillowing out into the sky.

Trudging through the snow that was becoming thicker and thicker was much more difficult than Caia had anticipated. She became exhausted quickly, her legs turning into jelly. The sun shone mercilessly down onto the snow, reflecting into her eyes with such intensity that she could only keep her eyes open enough to squint.

It was about midday, and the Fellowship was fairly high up on the mountain. Caia was near the back of the group, struggling to make her way up the steep hill. Aragorn, who was always the very last in the group, would often help her up a few of the steepest climbs, hoisting her up when they came to a group of rocks that they had to climb over.

At first, Caia found it humiliating to have to seek help from the ranger, an anxious voice reminding her that she was no more than a setback. But she soon learned to ignore this voice, taking solace in the fact that the Hobbits and Gimli, though the latter wouldn't admit it, needed help, too. Though Caia was taller than them, she was slightly weaker, and that put them all in a similar category.

Caia's thoughts were interrupted by Aragorn's voice behind her, calling Frodo's name. She looked up to see the ringbearer tumbling backwards down the mountain towards her, and Caia hurried to try and break his fall. Forgetting to take into account that her fingers were slightly numb from the cold, she was unable to help. This only resulted in her stumbling and falling onto her knees as Frodo continued to fall past her.

Aragorn helped the halfling up. Caia didn't stand immediately, distracted by the golden gleam of the ring, sitting a few feet in front of her.

She stared at the band as it called her name in shadowy whispers.

Unable to move, Caia was in a trance until Boromir picked up the chain, which rattled against the ring as it was lifted up into the air. There was a look of awe on his face as he regarded the golden band, holding it up in front of his face. The entire Fellowship had come to a stop, turning back to watch the scene unfold.

"Boromir," Aragorn called, eyebrows knotted.

Instead of responding, Boromir continued to stare at the ring, which swayed innocently back and forth.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," he whispered, eyes never once straying from the ring.

Caia found her heart thundering as she watched the scene from her spot in the snow, which was beginning to seep through her pants, dampening them. Boromir brought his free hand up to the ring slowly, as if about to grab the band itself.

Just before his hand touched the ring, he was interrupted by Aragorn, this time much more forceful.

"Boromir!"

As if suddenly returning back to this world, Boromir looked up, eyes slightly widened.

"Give the ring to Frodo," Aragorn commanded with a steely voice.

Boromir slowly made his way down to Frodo, who was staring at the man through suspicious eyes.

"As you wish," Boromir held out his hand, the ring dangling from the chain with a soft glow from the sunlight. Immediately, Frodo swiped the ring back. "I care not," the man added with a chuckle, ruffling Frodo's head in a good-natured manner before turning back around.

Caia released a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding, shivering as she did so.

"Come along now," Gimli said lowly, drawing Caia's attention. He helped her up from the snow by offering her a hand. "You wouldn't want to catch cold, sittin' there in that snow."

Caia nodded as Boromir passed her by, and the journey continued without another word.

The pendant glowed with warmth atop her chest as a subtle warning.

Throughout the day, the sky grew darker as gray stormclouds blew in from the horizon. Snow began to fall, gentle at first. As the wind picked up, the small flakes began to bite as they hit Caia's skin with more force. Before she could even realize that a snowstorm was brewing, the snowflakes were whirling around with purpose, wind snapping back and forth.

Soon, Caia could no longer see the sky, her vision overcome by a giant blur of grey and white. She could hardly see through the whirring snow, even when squinting. The snow slowly rose up to Caia's waist, and she struggled to walk through, holding onto the back of Aragorn's cloak. Him and Boromir both were holding two of the Hobbits.

The Fellowship were making their way through a small pass on the edge of the mountain. Caia couldn't hear past the intense wind, which continuously blew her hood off of her head, allowing her long, dark hair to get entangled in front of her face. She was out of breath, holding onto Aragorn's cloak in a desperate attempt to stay with the rest of the group.

Standing gracefully atop the snow, Legolas paused.

"There is a fell voice on the air!"

Caia's pendant burned roughly against her skin, and she couldn't help the whimpers that escaped her mouth.

 _I know what this is._

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf's shout was interrupted by loud, thunder-like booms from the mountain above.

Caia managed to look up as rocks and snow fell seemingly from the sky, causing everybody to throw themselves further against the mountain.

Heart thundering with a great terror, Caia let go of Aragorn's cloak to grip the pendant through her shirt, her damp hair sticking to her cheeks.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn bellowed, his voice barely audible through the wind. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" The wizard immediately replied, turning to continue making his way through the pass.

A mangled cry escaped Caia's lips as she struggled to stay on her feet. She pulled the pendant out from underneath her shirt and released it, letting it fly in the wind to avoid being burned.

 _We can't make it through._

Saruman's voice traveled with the wind, whipping around Caia's face with a malicious intent. Gandalf began to chant as well, as if trying to counter the actions of the dark wizard. Caia reached forward, eyes shut in panic, blindly trying to find someone to hold onto.

There was a flash of light so bright that Caia could still see it with her eyes closed. Lightning struck the top of the mountain, causing large rocks and snow to tumble down towards the group. Caia's scream was soon muffled by the snow that fell on top of her. It was so loud that her head burst, and the weight of the snow rendered her almost completely unable to move as it piled atop her body, pinning her down.

She felt tears sting her eyes as the cold that seemed to have reached its peak only increased. It felt as if Caia suddenly couldn't breathe, her chest being crushed under piles upon piles of heavy snow. She struggled to shove her arm up and felt a swarm of relief when it stuck up into the air, and she began to try to pull herself out. Caia's hand was grabbed and she was quickly pulled up by Aragorn, who quickly turned back around once she was out of the snow to help the Hobbits.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan!" Boromir shouted, his cloak covered with so much snow that it was nearly white. "And take the west road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn countered.

"If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli suggested, gruff voice raised to a yell. "Let us go through the mines of Moria."

Caia's heart leapt into her chest at the name, which sparked a memory within her head.

 _No._

 _No, we can't go through there._

Gandalf was completely silent for a few seconds, which dragged out with the wind. "Let the ringbearer decide," the wizard eventually said.

All eyes turned to Frodo, who seemed shocked at the sudden decision that was bestowed upon him. Looking at Sam quickly, Frodo glanced back up at Gandalf.

"Frodo?" The wizard prompted.

"We will go through the mines," the Hobbit's voice was small in the wind, but his words carried a heavy weight that settled upon Caia's shoulders.

She knew that Gandalf was to die there, and her stomach sank with a foreboding fear.

 _What do I do?_

* * *

The entire trek to Moria was downhill, and much easier than climbing mountains. The snow became less and less intense, going from biting and merciless to an annoyance. Caia could hardly take relief in this as thoughts swarmed her mind, twisting her stomach uncomfortably. The events of the future, quickly approaching, were starting to hit her hard.

She was conflicted.

Caia knew that there was a reason behind Gandalf dying. However, having gotten to know the Fellowship decently well, she felt an attachment to them. Remembering the pain that Gandalf's death would cause prompted a certain drive within Caia to try to prevent the outcome of Moria.

But, was it really her right to mess with fate? And if she did miraculously prevent his death, what else in the story would change?

Every time Caia had tried to change something thus far, her attempts ended in failure.

On the way down the mountain, Caia's worries and anxieties only increased, and something heavy settled in her stomach. Glancing down at the wizard, who was leading the Fellowship, Caia found her eyebrows knotting together in concern.

Before taking another second to think her actions through, Caia sped up her pace down the mountain, hurrying awkwardly down the slope until she reached Gandalf. He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.

"Can I ask you something?" She hurriedly spoke, voice hushed.

"What is clouding your mind?" Gandalf asked after a second, causing Caia to pause.

She hadn't thought any of this out.

A silence fell over the pair as Caia struggled to word her concerns.

Looking back up at the wizard, Caia opened her mouth. "I know what's going to happen," she said awkwardly. "I mean, in the future.

Gandalf looked ahead and nodded slowly, as if this was something that he heard every day.

"That is a dangerous ability," he eventually told Caia, meeting her eyes once more.

Unsure of what exactly Gandalf was trying to imply, Caia proceeded to talk. "Something bad is going to happen, and I want to stop it. But- I don't know if I should be playing with fate."

"The world has a plan of its own, Caia," Gandalf began. "Changing the future is not a mindless task. Whatever happens will occur for a reason. Do not take this ability lightly. You cannot change everything in the future simply because you do not like what is going to happen."

The way Gandalf spoke was so eloquent.

Caia felt slightly ashamed at his words, knowing there were several times in which she felt naïve enough to try and rewrite the future.

"I've tried to change things before," she admitted, looking down. "I couldn't do a thing."

"Fate is stronger than everything that resides within Middle Earth. Perhaps our course is already set in stone," Gandalf said. "If this is the case, then there is nothing that you can do to change what you have foreseen."

Caia's spirits dampened at his words as she studied the ground. Her shoulders felt heavy, as if her bones had been replaced by lead.

 _So, I won't be able to change it._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the wizard once more.

"You are not responsible for fate."

Caia couldn't get herself to look up at Gandalf. Despite his words, a massive guilt flooded her system.

She would have to let him die.

* * *

 **Hi everyone!**

 **First of all, I'm going to have to apologize that this chapter is shorter than usual. I've been kind of sick, but I still wanted to get something up, so I hope that this chapter is alright. It's more of a filler, because we all know that the next chapter is going to be crazy haha.**

 **Also, just a heads up, my summer break is going to end on August 8th. I know that's still a while away, but I wanted to let everyone know because I may not have as much time to write. I'm really not looking forward to school, but it's my last year in high school so I might as well get it over with.**

 **Anyways, on to happier things!**

 **Thanks so so much to yasminasfeir1 for reviewing! All of your reviews are always so sweet, they make my day. I appreciate you leaving the time to let me know what you think about my story, and I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far, and I really hope you like this chapter, too! :)**

 **Thanks so much for reading, everyone. Please consider leaving me a review and letting me know what you think. Your guys' feedback always inspires me to write more, haha.**

 **I'll see you all next time! (hopefully, not sick)**


	9. Chapter 9

_As the world comes to an end,_

 _I'll be here to hold your hand_

* * *

The air warmed, if only slightly, on their way down to Moria.

Caia felt discouraged the entire way down, eyes cast to the ground. She almost felt like she had reverted back to being the quiet, anxiety-ridden person that she was back in Bree. She was tired of the snow that flew onto her exposed skin, much more annoyed at the small inconveniences than she had been before.

Like a child, Caia was unable to handle the fact that there was nothing that she could do to prevent something that she did not want to happen.

The world was cruel and dangerous, uncontrollable, and completely unfamiliar to Caia. The same surrealism that plagued her at her initial arrival was coming back in waves.

Never before had she wanted so badly to go home.

Her hair was matted and greasy, clothes dirty and itchy as a result.

As the Fellowship approached Moria, large rocks began to point up into the sky. As they weaved in and out of large stones, making their way into passes that were difficult to spot with the untrained eye, the beauty of the scenery appeased Caia slightly. The disappearance of the snow was more than welcome, though navigating the rocky terrain held its own set of difficulties.

Making her way between two rocks, Caia stepped onto a relatively level rock ground, and her eyes widened as they took where she had arrived.

The rocky mountains were accompanied by a thick grey mist. Caia couldn't see the sky through the haze, giving the impression that they had stumbled upon a secret pocket of the world which could be found by no other.

A small gasp escaped Gimli's mouth. "The walls of Moria.." he breathed, eyes scanning over the expanse of the rocky walls.

Caia followed the Fellowship, making her way down to the walls. Though she knew the evil that this place contained, she couldn't help being awestruck by the front that was shown to her.

The wind howled around her, tousling her clothes and causing a slight shiver to pass through her body. Everyone was on edge. Caia scanned over the lake that was by the walls, trying to decipher the whispers from the dark depths. She couldn't help getting a strange feeling as the water, unnaturally still, stared right back at her.

Gandalf brushed his hand over a flatter section of the wall, as if wiping away imaginary dust. Caia watched as an inscription of two columns began to glow on the walls, scripture that she could not read appearing right above them. The yellow-toned light was comforting, mirroring the feeling that she had gotten from Rivendell.

For a second, it almost didn't seem like they were wandering into a death trap.

Gandalf's voice echoed as he spoke. "It reads: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, his eyes glued to the glow of the walls.

"Oh, it's quite simple," Gandalf stated confidently. He seemed excited by the prospect of solving the puzzle. "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."

Grasping his staff, Gandalf pressed it into the center of the inscription, atop a star.

" _Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!_ "

Everybody's eyes were glued onto the doors, and Caia held her breath, waiting for the rock to begin to move.

A few seconds of silence passed by, and nothing happened. Gimli grunted as Gandalf stepped forward once again, running his hands along the glowing lines.

Not long after, Caia had followed the others in sitting down and making herself comfortable. Her legs ached from the incredible amount of walking she had done, and her stomach cramped in a mixture of nausea and hunger. She relished the opportunity to relax slightly, leaning her head against a rock with her eyes shut.

But, the anxiety still swam around inside of her.

Caia felt sweaty, despite the cold, and extremely exhausted.

She couldn't begin to understand how Merry and Pippin still had the energy to stand and walk around the rocky shore of the lake, chatting amongst themselves. Merry threw a few rocks into the lake, and Caia watched as they landed in the water with a splash, creating small waves of their own.

Pippin held his arm back, but before he could throw, Aragorn caught hold of his arm.

"Do not disturb the water," he hissed.

Caia frowned at his warning and looked back out at the lake, uncertainty coloring her thoughts. She couldn't discern the reason why she was worried, which only furthered her anxiety.

There was a small bump in the water, moving about, and Caia stood up, eyes trained upon it.

Something was swimming around.

Caia made her way towards the rest of the group, trying to take comfort in the proximity of the Fellowship. Despite her practicing with swords, she was still wildly unskilled, and relied on the protection of anyone willing to provide it for her.

"It's a riddle," she heard Frodo remark from behind her. "Speak friend and enter. What's the elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon," Gandalf's words were drowned out by a sudden rumble from the doors. Caia's attention was averted from the lake, and she watched as the stone doors, about two feet thick, scraped across the ground as they opened, revealing a thick darkness that could not be pierced by the naked eye.

Once again, Caia couldn't help feeling awestruck by what she was witnessing, despite the discomfort that was settled in her stomach.

The Fellowship gathered together and followed Gandalf into Moria. The moonlight only illuminated the floor for a few yards, and Caia could see naught but rocks and sticks strewn across the ground. Trying to stifle the noise of her breathing, she was on edge. The air was thick and heavy, and Caia wasn't sure if anyone else shared her worry.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves!" Gimli announced, unable to contain the excitement in his voice. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!"

Gandalf's staff lit up at the end, casting a soft light throughout the cave as Gimli continued. "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A _mine!_ "

The light illuminated a set of stairs, upon which there were piles of something that Caia could not immediately discern. She squinted with a frown, trying to get a better look at what was in front of her, and her heart froze within her chest.

There were skeletons lying about the room in heaps.

"This is no mine," Boromir's voice was soft, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It's a tomb."

Caia's heart began to flutter quickly with fear as she stepped closer to the group, completely taken aback. The stench within the room was hardly bearable, a mix of human remains and musty, damp rocks.

Gimli began to cry out, kneeling by one of the skeletons. "No-!"

The anguish in his voice did nothing to relax Caia, who had begun to back up towards the entrance, itching to find safety in the outside.

 _Why had they decided to go into Moria after this?_

The water splashed behind her, and she went rigid as flashes of the movie ran through her head, a late warning of what was too come. The Hobbits stumbled into her, and Caia couldn't help grabbing onto Pippin's arm in fear. She could hardly breathe past the growing lump in her throat.

"We should never have come here," Boromir hissed. "Now, get out of here. Get out!"

A yell caught everybody's attention just in time to see Frodo getting pulled by the foot. What appeared to be a tentacle was pulling him back into the water.

"Help!" He called, as Sam raced over towards the ringbearer. The sandy-haired Hobbit unsheathed his sword and whacked at the tentacle as Caia scrambled to grab onto Frodo in an attempt to keep him from the water.

Her lungs were burning, fiery adrenaline coursing through her veins and giving her a spark of courage that mingled with fear.

The tentacle retracted back into the water for a few seconds, before there was a loud gurgle, followed by the sudden appearance of countless more slimy appendages which whacked everybody else away. Caia flew back into the ground, winded after the impact to her chest, and struggled to catch her breath once more as chaos erupted around her.

Time was flying by as Legolas appeared suddenly, pulling back an arrow. As he released the string of his bow, the slim arrow flew with a whiz directly into the tentacle which had a hold on the ringbearer.

Caia flew to her feet in panic, mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do.

Her hand flew to the sheath of her sword and she pulled it out shakily. She stood still for a few seconds, staring at the screaming Hobbit with wide eyes. Water was splashing over her clothes, and she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her throat.

 _I'm useless._

Aragorn and Boromir were swinging their swords at the tentacles, knee-deep in the water, as the head of a nightmarish creature emerged from the water, opening its mouth widely with a loud, resounding hiss. The ringbearer was dangling above the mouth, filled with sharp, otherworldly large teeth.

The adrenaline wouldn't let Caia stand still for any longer and she raced forward into the water, which fought to slow her down. She swung her sword with all of the might that she could find within her, and cringed when it cleanly sliced through one of the tentacles with a loud squelch.

The creature jerked Frodo back in reaction to the pain. Immediately, Boromir rushed forward and cut the tentacle off with ease, causing Frodo to fall through the air with a yell, until he was caught by Boromir.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf commanded, his voice hardly reaching Caia's ears through the splashing and yelling.

Aragorn grabbed Caia's arm and pulled her forward, moving so quickly that she could hardly stay on her feet.

Legolas shot another arrow, and immediately after the creature let out a loud, guttural moan. As the Felowship raced into the mines, Caia glanced back to see it pulling itself out of the water with its tentacles, giving chase to them.

The image was burned into her head as she released a yell, racing into the darkness, soaked with water from the waist down. There was a loud rumble, and the entrance of the cave cracked and crumbled apart. The broken rocks fell to the ground with a loud, resounding boom, kicking up dust and dirt that swirled around Caia viciously.

All went dark, and for a few seconds, all that could be heard was leftover rumbles from outside and the heavy breathing of everyone entrapped in darkness. Caia's heart was thumping faster than it ever had before, and she began to feel slightly dizzy as she tried to compose herself.

Gandalf's voice broke through the blackness, grim. "We now have but one choice." He tapped the bottom of his staff to the ground twice, and a soft glow illuminated the cave once again. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

His words echoed off of the wall.

Caia managed to muster up the strength to sheath her sword once more, Her chest began to smart from being hit earlier as the adrenaline began to wear off. Her arms ached, feeling akin to jelly, but she still managed to follow the Fellowship into Moria.

Though she was now safe from the creature, Caia hardly felt any relief. Lead weighed down her stomach as she glanced at the back of the wizard.

A finality settled over her shoulders.

 _There's nothing I can do._

* * *

 **I can't decide how I feel about the action-based parts of this chapter. I really want to get better at writing fights, so please bear with me! I really tried my hardest.**

 **IMPORTANT: because school's starting soon for me, I kind of need your guys' input on something. Would you prefer me to write longer chapters, which would take a bit longer, or chapters this size? School will definitely cause me to update slower, so I'd really like to know what you guys think. :) Please let me know! I need to input some sort of update schedule.**

 **Thank you so so much to Shetan20, O-O-Octopus, yasminasfeir1, and ColdOnePaul for leaving a review on the last chapter! The amount of positive things everyone had to say made me so happy. :") And thanks yasminasfeir1 for the well wishes! I'm much better now.**

 **I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter is going to get interesting, I have something planned related to Caia being an Amatúlië. I'm trying to pace the addition of my own ideas into a story that doesn't belong to me, because I don't want it to feel forced.**

 **Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you guys have to think, regarding both the story itself and the length of the chapters, which I asked about above. Every time I see a notification for a review I feel really good, so please consider leaving one.**

 **Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

_Though far away,_

 _We're still the same_

* * *

" _Eccaia. They are coming. Quickly, we must go."_

 _Large, brown eyes flickered upwards, meeting those of the taller girl who had spoken._

" _What do you mean?" The small voice was riddled with fear. As the larger hand grasped hers, Eccaia was pulled to her feet. "Who is here?"_

 _The older girl pulled Eccaia towards the door, which had been thrown open so hastily that there was a small dent in the wall._

" _They have found us," the girl's voice was strangely calm as she hurried down a long hallway, tugging Eccaia along with her. "Do you remember what we are to do?"_

 _Eccaia pushed her hair out of her eyes with a small hand, wide eyes unable to hide the anxiety that swirled throughout her body._

" _Yes."_

"Caia."

With a jolt, Caia's eyelids were thrown open as she sat up, hand flying to her chest. Her heart was pounding quickly, and she struggled to keep her breathing under control.

Her eyes met those of Pippin, who was frowning down at her, concerned.

"Gandalf has remembered the way," he said, puling back the hand that he had used to shake her arm previously. "Are you alright?"

The damp, musty air of Moria was heavy, and hard to inhale. Still, Caia took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. Even as a whisper, her voice seemed too loud. "Sorry."

Shuffling to her feet, Caia rubbed at the back of her neck, which was cramping from the awkward position that she had fallen asleep in.

The altercation with the nightmarish creature had left her aching and exhausted. The air inside Moria was so thick that it lulled her to sleep the second she sat down. Caia placed a hand on her midriff, where she had been hit, and rubbed her hand over the sensitive skin. It hurt with the slightest touch.

Still sleepy, Caia made her way down a set of stairs with the rest of the Fellowship. The walls extended out much farther, vanishing in the darkness that Gandalf's light could not reach.

There were destroyed structures littering the ground, but that did nothing to diminish the beauty of Moria. Even in its state, it reflected what had once been its prime time. Caia could only imagine what it would have been like before it faced its destruction. Though the stones were all the same, dull grey, they still boasted intimate, beautiful architecture of a magnificent city.

"Behold," Gandalf held up his staff, and the light began to glow brighter, "the freat realm and dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."

The ceilings were so high up that Caia couldn't see them, and large columns framed the way. Even knowing the evil that Moria hid, she couldn't help being awestruck.

"Now there's an eye opener," Sam breathed, head turning slowly as he attempted to register what he was seeing.

As they continued down the large hallway, Caia looked between the columns at her side, into the shadow that lay beyond.

She could have sworn that they were pulsating with evil, and whispering amongst themselves. It was as if something was moving just beyond her line of sight. Making sure to stay close to the Fellowship, Caia tried to ignore her tingling instincts.

Gimli let out a shout so suddenly that Caia nearly jumped out of her skin, heart freezing to a stop. She turned her head to see the dwarf running into a room, dodging the skeletons that were laying around the doorway.

"Gimli!" Gandalf's yell fell on deaf ears.

Once Caia had filed into the room, she found Gimli kneeling in front of a stone coffin, groaning in anguish. A light was shining on it from a window, illuminating the carvings of words that she could not read. More piles of bones littered the room, coupled with the damp smell, and Caia stuck close to the Hobbits, accustomed to staying out of the way as Gandalf stepped forward.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read solemnly, as Gimli continued to release cries of grief.

Caia's heart felt heavy as she regarded the Dwarf, who sobbed with his head rested on the coffin.

"He is dead, then,"

Handing his hat and staff to Pippin suddenly, Gandalf took hold of a large book, which had been resting in the hands of a skeleton. Dirt and dust fell from its pages as Gandalf flipped through them with narrowed eyes.

As he did so, Caia looked around the room. She was completely unable to remember how they were to be ambushed, and she was anxious. Aware of the chaos that was about to come, but not knowing how it would arrive, Caia bit at the inside of her cheek.

"Did you see something?" Sam asked in a whisper, drawing her attention.

Caia turned towards him and Frodo, who were both looking up at her, and shook her head.

"Not really," she replied in a hushed whisper of her own. "But I have a really bad feeling. Like there's something in the shadows."

A small silence fell over the trio at Caia's words, and she felt suddenly as if she was obligated to retract the worry that she had just expressed.

"Are you okay, Frodo?" She asked lowly. "You know, after earlier."

The memory of the creature from the lake must have left his mind, and it returned along with a small frown. His voice was soft as he replied, "Yes, I'm alright."

Caia nodded, before awkwardly looking away. Small talk wasn't her strong suit, and this was not the place to improve on it.

"We must move on," she heard Legolas say to Aragorn, eyebrows narrowed. "We cannot linger."

Gandalf began to read from the book, dust flying from the book as he spoke.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums.. Drums in the deep."

Caia tried to swallow the lump in her throat, deeply disturbed by the narration. She unknowingly shuffled closer to the Hobbits, clenching her teeth. After flipping the page, Gandalf continued to read.

"We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming."

A sudden clang stole Caia's attention, drawing a gasp, and she whipped to her side to witness Pippin standing still, having gone completely pale. A skeleton, which had been sitting by a small, well-resembling hole, tipped backwards and fell, dragging with it a long chain and metal bucket. A racket ensued as it fell, banging around against stone. The noises echoed for what seemed like an eternity, and was replaced by a long, tensed silence.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf hissed, slamming the book shut as he glared at Pippin. "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" With that, the wizard yanked back his hat and staff, leaving the halfling to stand still, clearly embarrassed.

Caia continued to stand with wide eyes.

Once again, she had remembered too late.

A distant, ritual thud began to echo from down the hole, causing everybody to freeze up. Caia's chest began to heave as the tried to will herself not to panic. The thumping of drums was soon accompanied by screeches, seemingly coming from everywhere, causing the entire group to look around in apprehension.

"Mr. Frodo," Sam breathed.

Caia looked to the ringbearer to see him draw his sword slightly.

It was glowing a bright, icy blue.

Fear struck into Caia's heart as yelling and chanting sounded louder.

She had spent so much time worrying about Gandalf's death that she had forgotten about the likelihood of her own.

 _I can't fight._

 _Oh, my God. I'm going to die._

"Orcs!" Legolas hissed.

An arrow whizzed past Boromor, who had hurried to the door. It just barely missed him, and he immediately slammed the wooden doors shut.

"Get back!" Aragorn shouted, stepping in front of the Hobbits and Caia. "Stay close to Gandalf!"

Caia felt her eyes burn as they watered in terror, but she filed backwards, legs shaking so hard that she could barely stand.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir stated, almost too calm, as Aragorn and Legolas sprung into action. They took weapons which had long since been abandoned on the ground, and began bracing them against the doors. The wild yelling was growing closer, and Caia felt herself growing smaller by the second as she looked around in a panic, trying to find any sort of plan.

Gandalf pulled out his sword, and Caia soon followed. Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir stepped back from the door, which was shaking with the force of the orcs banging against it. The sound, akin to thunder, took Caia's breath away as adrenaline and terror filled her mind.

 _Why did I go with them?_

Caia felt as if the door would burst at any second, and the fact that it held up for so long left her completely rigid with anticipation.

Gimli released a growl as he climbed atop the coffin, holding up an axe. Malice bubbled over his voice. "Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

Small, sharp weapons began to protrude through the door, which was slowly crumbling. An arrow, presumably from Legolas, flew neatly through one of the holes in the door. Whatever was behind it let out a high-pitched screech.

In a split second, the doors gave way, and fell to the ground. Chaos erupted throughout the room as orcs raced into the room with yells, swords in hand. Clanging, screeching, and shouts filled Caia's ears, and she tried to take a deep breath as an endless amount of Orcs filled the room.

Before she knew it, Caia was separated from the Hobbits, who had raced off into battle. An orc raced up to her, drawing up a sword, and a sudden desire to live filled Caia's veins with courage. She side-stepped the orc's swing, and heaved her sword into its side, between plates of armor. With a squeal, the orc fell to the side, and Caia couldn't help the pride that swelled her heart, forgetting that the battle had only just started.

A massive, guttural growl caught the attention of nearly anyone in the room as a large, humanoid creature was tugged into the room by a chain. The cave troll was absolutely massive, and a bloodthirsty yell escaped its throat.

Caia's attention was quickly drawn away from it as a figure came towards her. Another orc, seemingly identical to the one before, came at her with a shout. Caia hardly managed to lift her sword in time to parry its hit, her focus completely destroyed by the arrival of the cave troll.

Letting out a scream of fear as the orc's sword swung at her again, Caia hit it with her own, before thrusting her sword into its neck. With a gurgle, the orc fell, and Caia struggled to pull her sword back out.

Orc after orc came after Caia. Her mind was completely filled with trying to stop them from killing her, and the rest of the Fellowship fell from her focus. It was as if, in that moment, all that existed was Caia's struggle for survival.

The troll's grunts and yells were so loud that they filled the room, but never once did it come near Caia, who was on the other side of the room from it. Arrows were shot into it time and time again, but the massive creature still stayed standing, swinging around a massive club. Caia didn't have much time to look at it as she scrambled towards the walls, hoping to escape the heart of the battle.

Panting heavily with sweat dripping down her face, Caia found a moment's peace, looking around quickly, trying to cover all of her bases. Out of nowhere, something was shoved into Caia's back. The force took her by surprise and sent her flying to the ground on her stomach. Her sword had left her hand by the time she landed, air expelling itself from her lungs.

She was completely vulnerable.

Flipping over to her back, Caia found an orc standing above her, sword raised over its head. As it brought the weapon down, Caia screamed and rolled to the side, hitting the wall. The sword raised and came back down in a split second, giving her no time to flee, and she raised her arms over her face as everything within her froze.

Caia's hands began to burn, and a wild energy filled her veins.

A bright, blue light permeated Caia's sight.

* * *

 **Sitting down and writing this chapter was so exciting. The second I got into it, the chapter just seemed to write itself.**

 **I've said this time and time again, but one thing that I'm not familiar with is writing action or describing fighting. I tried my absolute best to make it realistic without her dying (though, let's be honest, all of here wouldn't live through Moria lol).**

 **But! Now, something about Caia that she doesn't know herself is starting to emerge. I want it to come slowly and naturally, rather than so suddenly that it's completely out of place, so let this be a little taste of what's to come. My worst nightmare is Caia becoming a Mary-Sue, so please let me know if you think that's happening!**

 **Thank you to O-O-Octopus and yasminasfeir1 for reviewing on the last chapter! And thanks again to yasminasfeir1 for letting me know what kind of updates you prefer. I will stick to shorter chapters and faster updates. :) I hope you both liked this chapter, too!**

 **Thanks everybody for reading this chapter. I hope I did well. ^^ Good luck to those of you who are going back to school, like I am! We can all suffer together, haha.**

 **If you liked this chapter, or have anything you want to say about it, please leave me a review! It means the absolute world to me, and I do best after reading what everyone has to say. You guys influence the story more than you think you do. :)**

 **Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

_The end is coming,_

 _Everybody run_

* * *

 _Do you remember what we are to do?"_

" _Yes."_

It was as if she was floating in mid-air. Her body felt heavy. Something was pressing down on her chest with force; it was hard to breathe.

Caia felt like she was shrouded in darkness. It held onto her, constricting her every movement.

Something was calling out to her.

* * *

There was a shake to Caia's arm.

Her eyelids were so heavy that, for a second, Caia was worried that she would not be able to move them. The ground was uneven and damp, uncomfortably cold. Jagged edges of stone poked at her body, making any movement less than uncomfortable.

"Caia."

Slowly opening her eyes, the first thing that Caia noticed was an Orc, laying motionlessly behind her.

A sense of extreme disappointment washed over Caia. Somehow, she had expected to wake up in her own bed.

The light that had flooded her vision was long gone.

"Come, child," Gandalf's voice was urgent. "We must make haste."

There was another tug to her arm, and Caia found herself being helped up to stand on wobbly legs. She had never been so exhausted.

"Gandalf," a small voice sounded, filled with uncertainty. "What has happened to her?"

Caia's eyes scanned slowly over the room.

Bodies upon bodies were littered on the ground, lifeless Orcs of all sizes. The smell of metallic blood was overwhelming, drawing forth a violent nausea that Caia could hardly keep contained.

 _I want to go home._

The rest of the Fellowship was standing still, casting wide-eyed stares upon Caia, who had no idea what had happened. Fighting through the grogginess that plagued her seemed nearly impossible, but she knew she couldn't wallow in her exhaustion.

"I am not yet sure," Gandalf answered quickly as Caia struggled to regain her senses. "But we do not have time to ask. Not until we are out of Moria."

As if a sense of urgency was sparked by the wizard's words, he gave Caia another quick shake, sending her brain rattling. She met Gandalf's eyes and, taking this as a sign of stability, he let go, and began to usher everyone from the room.

"Come!" He hissed. "Time is not on our side. To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"

The sound of screeching and the clanging of weapons registered in Caia's mind, giving her just enough of an energy boost to convince her limbs to move. Going from being completely blacked out to running for her life was no easy feat. Her legs, carrying her quickly behind Gandalf, felt almost completely numb. Her entire body ached with fatigue, but the past month of nothing but wandering showed through as she managed to just barely keep herself upright enough to continue running.

Caia had no time to think and wonder what had happened to her in the room of the stone coffin. Shrieking and hoots came from all sides of her as the fear from earlier woke back up, sending her into an alarm. Everywhere she looked, small, wretched creatures were climbing on all fours towards the Fellowship. They emerged from burrowed holes and skittered down the magnificent columns of Moria, an extension of the darkest shadows.

Not a few minutes into the cacophony of screeching and yelling, the Fellowship was completely surrounded by these creatures, sporting weapons and eyes full of malice. Boromir came to such a sudden halt that Caia all but ran into him. Skidding to a halt beside her, Legolas drew in closer, followed by the Hobbits. Even through the absolute terror of being surrounded on all sides, Caia struggled to breathe as she was knocked into by everybody hastily trying to push together. A hand gripped Caia's arm tightly, and she stared in surprise at Pippin, who was standing closely to her, regarding the creatures with wild, petrified eyes.

For a second, time stopped as beady eyes stared at the Fellowship, hissing and waving around weapons.

A loud, gurgling growl sounded from behind them, so loud that Caia's heart practically inverted itself, sending a course of adrenaline rushing through her veins that froze her muscles. A fiery red glow emerged at the back end off the hall, as if a transparent blanket of fire had been draped over the entrance.

The goblins began to whimper and yell in distress, their tight formation around the Fellowship wavering as they took in the sight at the end of the hallway. All of the violence and confidence they had worn so boldly immediately disappeared into shrieks and squeals of terror as the creatures scampered away.

Almost as quickly as they had appeared, the goblins disappeared, crawling back into the shadows and climbing back up the worn columns.

Pippin's grip on Caia's arm did not diminish, and she finally had time to wonder why the halfling was holding onto her arm, almost hiding behind her. His demeanor around her had clearly changed. He was seeking safety, and trying to find it in Caia.

 _What happened when I blacked out?_

Gimli's laugh at the terrified creatures was arrogant and loud. The dwarf was clearly finding amusement in the situation, and Caia might have too if she didn't know what was coming next.

Her eyes were locked on the fiery glow approaching them. With it came a heat so thick that Caia immediately felt herself beginning to sweat. The air was humid, comfortably warm though they were a football field away from its source; the cause of Gandalf's death.

The growling echoed throughout the hall, resembling that of a rabid dog. The sound sent chills skittering up Caia's back with sticky, ice-cold fingers.

Boromir's voice broke the silence between the Fellowship, filled with poorly concealed anticipation.

"What is this new devilry?"

There was no immediate reply as the growling continued among the exhausted pants of the lot, still huddled together.

The seconds drew on, becoming longer and longer as a massive weight of lead descended upon Caia's lungs, stifling her heavy breathing. The orange-red glow grew ever closer.

"A Balrog."

Despite Gandalf's voice remaining eerily calm, his words sent a chill through Caia's heart. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you."

Gandalf turned back around. It was the first time Caia had seen his eyes filled with so much fear.

"Run!"

Immediately, Caia sprang into action as the Fellowship dispersed ever so slightly, sprinting through the now empty halls. The growling and gurgling followed behind them. Caia's breathing came out in whistling, heavy pants, lungs burning with overuse as she forced her legs to stretch out, carrying her across the ground as fast as she could physically manage.

She had never run for her life before like she was now, and Caia didn't know if she ever would again.

Stumbling through a doorway, Caia stumbled to a stop as the sight of stairs froze her still. This room was brighter than the hallway, sporting the same orange, fiery glow. It taunted Caia, illuminating the sheen of sweat that covered her grimy skin.

Trying with all of her might not to slip on the rocky stairs, Caia stumbled down amidst the rest of the Fellowship, unable to help her despair. It was as if the stairs, turning left and right, were meant to slow them down instead of showing them to the way out. The stairways were uncomfortably narrow, and Caia felt no more than an ant, skittering to try and save its own life.

Coming across a break in the stairway, the entire Fellowship came to a sudden halt. Caia watched with wide eyes as Legolas cleared the jump easily, looking back up with a focus in his eyes that Caia envied. How was he so composed?

"Gandalf!" The elf urged, waving the wizard over.

Gandalf hesitated for no more than a second before jumping towards Legolas, who helped to steady him as he landed upon the stairs. Gaining a better view at the distance, Caia's heart beat even faster.

How could she jump that far?

There was a high-pitched break in the air, and a skinny, wooden arrow bounced off of the stone just by Caia's feet, causing her to stumble. She was quickly steadied by Boromir, who, with a sudden otherworldly strength, lifted Caia and threw her. For a split second she flew through the air with a cry of surprise. She was caught by Legolas, who dropped her on her feet behind him.

Dizzy and nauseated by the sudden journey through the air, Caia hardly noticed as Boromir leaped over, holding onto Merry and Pippin with a loud yell.

There was a rumble, and more of the stairway crumpled off, leaving Caia glad that she had been thrown so early.

Sam crossed the distance, followed soon by Gimli, and Caia stepped down a few stairs to make more room for the new additions.

Caia turned to see Aragorn holding tightly onto Frodo. A boulder had crushed the stairs behind them, leaving the pair on a teetering piece of unstable rock. The fear in Frodo's eyes was evident, even at this distance, and Caia held her breath as they leaned forward, guiding the falling stairway.

It crashed forward, leaving the pair to leap through the air, caught by Legolas and Boromir. Not a second later, Caia was being ushered down the stairs once more, suddenly not as bothered by the narrow stones.

 _At least it's somewhat stable now._

Extremely grateful that she didn't have to cross any more wide jumps, Caia's heart danced in joy as she crossed the bridge, wind whizzing past her face as she sprinted.

A large fire had sprung up out of nowhere just as Caia made it across. In front of her, Frodo had come to a sudden stop and turned, causing her to do the same.

Gandalf had not yet crossed the bridge. Standing with his back to the Fellowship, he faced a tall, humanoid creature. It was darker than black, sporting two ram-like horns that curled by its face. Its eyes were no more than two, fire-colored beads, but it hissed and growled with such a ferocity that Caia went still.

"Gandalf!" Frodo called, the urgency in his voice cutting through the air.

Caia couldn't move.

 _It's happening._

The Balrog roared at the wizard, who was no bigger than its foot. Fire spilled from its mouth, and the heat reached Caia in a nauseating wave.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf bellowed, earning another terrified scream from the ringbearer.

The demon stood straight up, fire curling around its legs and arms and stretching up into the air with an angry roar.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." Gandalf's voice, though shaky, was bursting with purpose. Though the wizard was small, it was clear that he held incredible power. A bright blue shield, resembling a sound bubble, formed around Gandalf, fighting to be seen among the flames.

 _It's not enough._

"The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!"

Bringing down a white-hot sword of fire on Gandalf's shield, the wizard released a yell as he fought to stand upright, deflecting the attack with a spark of bright blue. The Balrog reared back for a second, its beady eyes focused on the wizard. It roared at Gandalf once again, spitting fire.

The air was filled with tension. Nobody moved as they waited for Gandalf.

"Go back to the shadow," the wizard demanded with a steely voice. "You shall not pass!"

The demon's nostrils flared before it began to approach Gandalf again, an explosion of fire spreading throughout the room.

Completely overwhelmed by an irrational panic, Caia lost control over herself. She began to rush forward, but was immediately yanked back by Boromir, who held her in place with a tight grip on her arm and a shake of his head.

She couldn't help the burning of her eyes, which were beginning to water.

" _Perhaps our course is already set in stone. If this is the case, then there is nothing that you can do to change what you have foreseen."_

The bridge crumbled underneath the Balrog, sending it falling down with a loud roar. Due to its size, it almost seemed as if the demon was falling slowly through the air, its fiery anger falling into darkness with it.

All was silent for a moment.

There was a crack in the air, and the whip of the demon caught around Gandalf's leg, just as he began to turn, pulling at him and tugging the wizard down, leaving him hanging on to the edge of the bridge.

A chorus of yells erupted, and Frodo sprang forward. Aragorn just barely managed to catch hold of the ringbearer, holding him back as the Hobbit struggled to free himself, screaming Gandalf's name.

For no more than a second, a blanket of silence fell over the room as all eyes fixed upon Gandalf, who was looking at them with a wild fear.

Caia couldn't breathe.

"Fly, you fools!"

In a split second, the wizard had released his hold on the stone, and descended into the darkness.

* * *

 **Okay, I know this isn't anything that we all haven't seen before, just described in detail. I feel like this chapter may seem repetitive to you all, at least regarding Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, but there is a lot in this chapter that hints at something underlying going on, and I feel it's important. If you skimmed through it, I can't say I really blame you, but I promise this chapter isn't as meaninglessly drawn out as it seems!**

 **I was traveling all day today. School starts on the 8** **th** **. I'm nervous, and writing calmed me down again. I've never stuck with a story quite like this one before. I really hope that you guys are enjoying it as much as I am.**

 **I feel like my eyes are filled with glue. I need to go to bed.**

 **A big big big thank you to O-O-Octopus (sorry! I'm the queen of inconsistent updates ^^"), ColdOnePaul, and yasminasfeir1 for reviewing on my last chapter! Real talk, reading what you all have to say always makes me so happy. I'm glad you have questions! :) It looks like I'm accomplishing what I want to. Some questions may not be answered for a while.**

 **Thanks everybody for reading! I'm really glad that everybody seems to be having fun reading my take on a popular fanfiction plot. I hope I'm executing this cliché decently well.**

 **Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter with a review. It makes me feel so glad to hear everybody's feedback. I take it into consideration a lot when writing!**

 **I'll see you all next time! Take care :)**


	12. Chapter 12

_And from the rain_

 _Comes a river running wild_

* * *

The next moments were no more than a blur.

Frodo's screams pierced through the air, cutting into Caia's heart with a ferocity that she had not expected. A feeling that she could not identify pooled up in her chest. Coupled with the nausea that creeped up her stomach, Caia nearly vomited the bile that was burning her throat.

She was frozen still, staring at the edge of the broken bridge, which no longer held Gandalf.

Caia's knees buckled. Before her body could slump to the ground, someone roughly grabbed onto the sleeve of her shirt, yanking her up. Still in a daze, Caia let herself be pulled up by Aragorn, who was yelling something that she could not make out.

She followed the man up the remaining stairs, and was only slightly pulled back into reality when the freezing outside air slapped her face. Caia disregarded the wind that blew at her, further agitating her burning eyes.

There was a tear in the Fellowship.

Caia's eyes fell upon Merry and Pippin, holding each other on the ground, and a vicious shiver raged through her body. The world, once again, bared its teeth at Caia, merciless and unforgiving.

Aragorn, who had long since let go of Caia, stood a few yards ahead, wiping his sword clean. "Legolas," he called, breaking the silence with a stiff voice. "Get them up."

Caia couldn't help the jolt that flew through her heart, and her eyes flickered up to the ranger.

Boromir turned quickly to Aragorn. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" He snapped, aggravated.

The air was thin, and Caia found it even more difficult to breathe. The brewing fight was sending her over the edge as she pressed a hand to her chest, attempting to stifle her uneven breaths and shaking shoulders.

She had never felt as alienated and dirty as she did in that moment, suddenly unable to ignore the sheen of sweaty dirt and grime coating her body and clothes. There was an evil in the air that Caia had never felt back on Earth. Her eyes were fixed on the thin layer of snow that covered the rock on which she was standing.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs!" Aragorn glared back at the man. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."

Boromir said nothing back.

"Come Boromir, Legolas," Aragorn continued, as if unable to let the silence fester. "Gimli, get them up."

As Aragorn called out for Frodo, Caia felt a hand tentatively lay itself on her shoulder.

Her eyes met those of Gimli. The dwarf seemed uncharacteristically tired, his eyes conveying the same heavy feeling that plagued the rest of the Fellowship.

"Come, lass," he said gently, removing his hand after meeting her gaze. "Aragorn is right. We will have time to rest and grieve."

Giving him a nod, Caia said nothing as Gimli turned and walked back towards Aragorn. Quickly bringing up a hand to her face, which was beginning to itch, Caia was surprised to see the dirt smudged by liquid on her hand.

Suddenly embarrassed, having been completely unaware that she was crying, Caia pulled her sleeves over her palms and used them to wipe at her face, sniffling. It was the first time that she had shed tears upon Middle Earth. They carried with them the same weight that had been resting in Caia's heart, which she was finally able to discern:

Guilt.

* * *

The descent from the mountains were no easier than the initial climb. Caia's legs were more tired, and she found it difficult to stay on her feet as she struggled to make her way down the rocks. The blue skies were disregarding them, beautiful wisps of white clouds smiling down as if unaware of the events of the day.

Every time Caia's eyes fell upon the ringbearer, she was hit with the full accountability of her actions. The weight of her guilt was too great for her to ignore.

Here she was, with all of the information in the world, standing alongside a group of people who were risking everything for the sake of Middle Earth. She had known what was to happen to Gandalf, and hadn't done a thing to stop it.

The wizard's words were no longer a comfort.

 _Screw fate,_ Caia thought, short nails digging into her skin as her hands balled into fists.

 _I've messed it up enough just by being here. I should have done something._

Caia was much too weak for the raw evil that slithered with Middle Earth.

Gandalf would be back, she knew that.

But seeing the effect that his death had on the Fellowship, ringbearer in particular, stretched Caia's resolve thin. She wanted nothing more than to return home.

But she had no choice.

The Fellowship managed to reach the edge of the forests as the sun began to hide behind the mountains, taking with it the light of day.

As she was laying beneath the trees that night, sleep evaded Caia. Despite her exhaustion, the night would not grant her any rest. Trying to count the stars from between the leaves of the trees, Caia could hear naught but the heavy breathing of her companions, who were sleeping soundly. The moonlight was strangely bright, but it hardly reached Caia, nestled underneath the trees.

Caia moved slowly, her every move loud among the silent darkness. She turned her head to glance up at Boromir, sitting up against a tree a few feet away. His head was hung low, shoulders rising and falling slowly.

He had fallen asleep.

 _I guess I'll keep watch, then._

Relieved to assign a reason to her lack of sleep, Caia released a breath and sat up. She pushed aside her cloak, which she used as a blanket during the night, rubbing at her hair to remove some of the leaves which she had been laying in.

It was strange how she was now used to the absence of her bed.

The night was quiet. The moon itself was sleeping, and the wind was still, not even offering a breeze to keep Caia company. The grass tickled at her hands, and Caia reached up to rub at her heavy eyes.

She was sitting among the silent nighttime, breathing slowly. The air in the forest was clean and slightly aromatic, carrying with it the scent of earth and leaves. Time passed on its own as Caia's mind wandered far and wide.

She thought of her home. The chattering of kids at school, the quiet of her small house, and how she missed all of it.

Never once had Caia believed that she would miss her home, which lay so far away.

How had her life taken such a turn?

Caia's head fell to the side slightly as her consciousness slipped away for a second. She opened her heavy eyelids once again, blinking a few times. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep.

The rustling of leaves drew Caia's attention, and she said nothing as a small figure stood up. Watching as Frodo walked towards the trees, Caia's festering guilt returned.

He was clearly hurting, and Caia couldn't help feeling responsible.

As he disappeared through the trees, Caia pressed her lips together. A small amount of resolve bubbled in her chest, and she took a slow, deep breath.

If she was to survive in Middle Earth, she needed to adapt to her situation. As it was, Caia was hardly more than a burden clinging on to the Fellowship. She had joined them on a whim, without truly thinking through the consequences of her actions. Caia's decision had been premature and unplanned, and she was paying the price for that choice.

There was no way that Caia would survive getting any closer to Mordor if she didn't start coming to terms with her situation.

And she could begin by being honest.

 _Like it or not, I'm stuck here._

Caia stood up as quietly as she could manage. She had to squint to see through the darkness, and even then there was no avoiding the leaves and sticks littering the ground. She stepped between the trees through which Frodo had previously gone. Caia released the breath she had been holding when she saw the Hobbit sitting in a small clearing, where the trees began to thin out near the edge of the forest.

Though Caia was sure that he had heard her, Frodo didn't turn around. She approached him, heart pounding with traces of unease, and sat down by him quietly. He likely wanted to be alone.

The two didn't exchange any words immediately. A soft breeze of cool, nighttime air blew against Caia, caressing her cheeks and dirty hair slightly.

She would never get used to being this grimy.

"I'm sorry."

Caia was hardly aware that she had spoken, but the breeze carried her voice with it. Her eyes observed the mountains in which the Fellowship had previously been. The navy sky behind it was clearer than she had ever seen. Hundreds, even thousands, of bright stars dotted the sky, dancing up in space.

Despite the evil lingering in the corners of every shadow, the world still held an immeasurable amount of beauty.

"You've done no wrong," Frodo responded softly. His voice was filled to the brim with a mixture of pain and exhaustion, and it prodded further at Caia's guilt.

She had caused this.

It was the second time that day that Caia felt her eyes watering slightly. Determined to keep her composure, however, she willed herself to take a deep breath.

For how much trouble she caused, Caia hardly had any redeeming qualities.

Her heart thundered as she tried to speak past the lump of anxiety in her throat.

"When we were approaching Moria," she began, fiddling with blades of grass on the ground, "I spoke to him. I knew that something bad would happen to him."

Frodo finally moved, turning his head to look at her. Caia was unable to meet his gaze.

"How did you know?" He asked.

Caia sighed lightly and brought a hand up to push her overgrown fringe out of her eyes. "I guess you could say that I'd foreseen it." Finally meeting his eyes, she continued. "But he told me that our fate was already written in stone, and that there likely wasn't anything that I could do about it."

The ringbearer regarded Caia with a small frown, as if he was trying to discern something. She kept speaking, trying to fill the thick silence.

"I tried to listen to him. But I guess it wouldn't have mattered, since I was already too late in telling him. I still feel like I could have done more, though. That's why I say I'm sorry. And I really do mean it."

The silence that Caia had been dreading returned. It lingered among the pair, weaving in and out of trees as it will.

Caia continued to fiddle with the grass, absentmindedly twisting and accidentally ripping some of the blades off of the ground.

"Twice before," Frodo began, finally breaking the quiet, "you've mentioned a foreboding feeling. Once on Weathertop, and again in Moria, both right before we were attacked. I admit I had been wondering how you had predicted that something would go wrong."

Caia couldn't help her face heating up in discomfort, and she bit the inside of her cheek. She had hardly remembered saying this, and had been completely unaware that she was subtly giving herself away. Caia hadn't thought twice about voicing her concerns, but the halflings were smart.

 _Of course they'd notice it. Idiot._

"I'm really not half as inconspicuous as I think I am, clearly," she stumbled over the words that tumbled out of her mouth, berating herself silently. "Gandalf had told me to keep it to myself. Again, I'm really sorry. I'm not used to this stuff at all, so I'm a little useless."

Frodo looked back up at Caia, eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at her sudden outburst.

"I am not accusing you," he maintained, "nor am I angry. You've done no wrong. In any case, you're hardly useless."

Caia's thoughts were tripping over themselves in her head, a small reminder as to why she had put off being honest for so long. Talking had never been her strong suit. She was saved the embarrassment of not knowing what to say when the ringbearer spoke up again.

"If Gandalf believed the future should not be spoken, he believed so for a reason. We should honor his words."

Caia couldn't help the weight that had lifted from her shoulders after finally confiding in someone emotionally, even if it was only through an apology.

Another silence, this time more comfortable, descended over the pair.

Caia sat, looking up at the sky. As her eyes fluttered from star to star, looking for any familiar constellations with an absentminded curiosity, the day's events replayed in her head again and again. The air was still cool, caressing over Caia's cheeks with soft whispers.

"Might I ask you something?"

Looking over at Frodo, Caia nodded in response to his question. "Sure."

He seemed to think over his words for a second.

"What is magic like in your lands?" He eventually asked.

Caia blinked.

"Um, actually- we don't have any magic back home," she tripped over her words, surprised at his question. Her voice seemed just slightly too loud in the night. "Why do you ask?"

Frodo's eyebrows raised slightly, as if the concept of a world without magic was completely outlandish.

"You don't?" He repeated. "While we were in the mines, you seemed to use some sort of magic."

Caia's heart skipped a beat.

How could she have forgotten?

She sat up straighter as the memory of the light and her fainting spell returned in the blink of an eye, having been washed away by the remainder of the day's events.

"Oh, right," Caia momentarily forgot to control the volume of her voice, and stopped for a moment. "I meant to ask somebody about that. What exactly happened?"

Frodo turned to her a little more, as if suddenly intrigued. Despite feeling uncomfortable at being put on the spot, Caia was glad that she was giving the halfling something else to think about.

Even if just for a moment.

"You don't remember?" He asked. At seeing Caia shake her head, he went quiet for a few seconds.

"I wasn't watching at the time, so I didn't see much," Frodo began, looking away, as if trying to remember. "There was a light that spread throughout the room, at our feet. With it, the orcs simply fell over. I hadn't expected it to be you."

Trying to process his words, Caia frowned into the sky. She tried to picture what he had described to her, but it didn't quite make sense.

 _There's no way I could do that._

"I didn't even know that I'd done anything," she admitted quietly.

"I'd thought it to be Gandalf," Frodo's voice was soft, and it took on the pain that had escaped his mind momentarily.

Her heart twisted in her chest. Caia glanced over at the Hobbit, who had gone quiet once more.

This time, she didn't have the confidence to say anything.

* * *

 **Ughhhhh I started school and I'm so unbelievably tired. I haven't been to school in almost a year due to sickness, so I'm really not used to having to spend this much of my day working. So yes, my updates may be slightly slower, but I have no plans on abandoning this story. It's such a stress-reliever for me.**

 **I'm really sorry for any grammatical errors. I've read through this and tried to keep it the same quality as the rest of my chapters, but I'm just so exhausted. It's difficult because I want to write so bad but when I finally find the time to settle down and write, it's late and I'm tired. ^^" Is anybody else in school yet?**

 **I hope I had the interaction between Frodo and Caia come off as at least slightly realistic. I've said this only a couple million times, but it's super important to be to keep Caia as a realistic person. Finding the balance between her being capable enough to survive while also giving her a natural amount of flaws is a little difficult. I feel like most people could only go so long keeping to themselves in such an unfamiliar world, and in a situation with so much emotion, I feel it made sense to add this part.**

 **Thanks again to our very own yasminasfeir1, O-O-Octopus and ColdOnePaul for reviewing my last chapter! I've mentioned this a few times before, but I'm really glad that you guys have questions. That's how it's supposed to be. :) And yes, please do look forward to Caia's meeting with Galadriel! I do have something planned for that.**

 **Thanks for reading, everybody. Please leave a review letting me know what you think! It's the best motivation, honestly. I'm really happy to have people who look forward to my updates. :)**

 **I'll see you next time! And good luck to those of you who are dealing with school as well.**

 **Sorry for the long note!**


	13. Chapter 13

_So please look away,_

 _Don't look at me_

* * *

The forest was a distinct change from the mountains, and a welcome one at that. The green of the leaves and grass was calming, and the aromatic air that surrounded Caia relaxed her. Though it was still cold, as the sun couldn't reach through the trees, there was a certain warmth that accompanied the feeling of safety provided by the rustling greenery of the forest.

There was a certain chill that fluttered throughout the air, and everyone seemed to feel it. Hardly a word was exchanged among the Hobbits, who were still visibly distraught from the events of the preceding day.

Caia's head was swimming with uncertainty and exhaustion. Every day on Middle Earth was an extension of the last, leading her to feel as if she hadn't slept in months. Stuck within an unfamiliar world left her in a constant state of confusion, and she longed for anything familiar to her.

She had hardly been able to sleep the night before. Throughout the deepest hours of the night, Caia had sat against a tree, on the brink of falling asleep, but not quite able to let go of her consciousness. She was plagued by doubt as she tried, with minimal success, to remember what was to happen next.

The Fellowship would break; Caia knew that much.

But where would that leave her?

Caia couldn't imagine having to wander the depths of Middle Earth for any longer than she already had been, but she knew that there was no choice in the matter.

And then there was the small pendant that hung around her neck: the smallest clue into something that even Caia did not know about.

 _Amatúlië_ _._

Caia knew everything about the future, but nothing about why she was in a world she had thought to be fictional.

The air within the forest seemed to waver and whisper, and a surreal discomfort grew thicker and thicker as the Fellowship continued through the woods. The humming of something unseen flew about the trees, rustling the leaves. Beautifully unsettling, the forest itself seemed to come alive, beckoning for anyone to walk deeper within.

Caia could almost hear a whisper in the back of her head.

" _She is coming to us._

 _The one who survived then, and continues to survive now."_

Bringing a hand up to her head, which was beginning to ache for reasons unknown to her, Caia blinked, trying to force the voice out of her mind.

" _You play a part in this tale, Eccaia."_

Caia stopped walking momentarily and leaned against a tree, closing her eyes. All of her thoughts had begun to race around in her head with such a speed that she could hardly catch up. Dizzy, she felt misplaced and vulnerable, as if her every thought was being broadcasted to anyone willing to listen.

" _You cannot run any longer."_

"Well," Gimli's voice brought Caia back to reality, and the fog began to drain from her mind. She was hardly aware that he had even been speaking. "Here's one dwarf the sorceress of the woods won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox."

A sudden, nagging feeling tugged at Caia's mind. Without thinking much about it, she turned her head to look beyond a tree, and froze immediately.

Pointed directly at her head, not a foot away, was a thin, sharp arrow. It caught the gleam of sunlight, freezing Caia's heart into stopping.

Gasps emanated from around Caia as elves approached, seemingly from nowhere, pointing countless arrows from all directions. Caia went completely still as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Everyone was completely frozen, and the air was suddenly so thin that it was hard to breathe.

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," a smooth voice remarked. A tall, blond elf stepped toward Aragorn, who had been leading the Fellowship.

Gimli grunted in annoyance but said nothing.

Aragorn bowed his head and began speaking. The Elvish that flowed from his mouth was smooth and elegant, and Caia found herself listening carefully, though she couldn't understand a word of it.

"Aragorn!" Gimli interrupted the exchange, voice strained. "These woods are perilous. We should turn back."

The elf looked down at Gimli, raising his eyebrows for a second. "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood," he said. "You cannot go back."

His eyes looked about the Fellowship, taking in each and every member. Once his gaze met that of Caia, there was a small, almost unnoticeable furrow of his eyebrows that sent her on edge. Caia struggled to keep her anxiety in check, chest rising and falling quickly.

 _Calm down._

"Come," the blond elf then looked directly at Frodo. "She's waiting."

The journey through the rest of Lothlorien was breathtaking.

The golden touch of sunlight illuminated large trees and deep green leaves, drawing forth a feeling of beauty that belonged in a fairy tale. The air was sweet and cool, fluttering about Caia with gentle whispers.

As the Fellowship followed the elves, they began to see civilization. The elves had adapted to living alongside nature, wrapping staircases up trees to preserve the beauty of the forest's essence. Caia had never seen a place as golden and beautiful as Lothlorien, and she doubted that she would ever feel this awestruck again.

The trees were so thick and dense that the sky was hardly visible. Caia stuck close to the Hobbits as they made their way up a tall, winding staircase. She couldn't help the nausea that accompanied being so high up but tried to push it out of her mind.

Despite the beauty of the environment, however, a discomfort hung onto Caia's mind.

She felt vulnerable.

Upon reaching the platform at the top of the stairs, Caia was completely taken aback. A male and female elf, holding hands, gracefully stepped towards the Fellowship. Shrouded by an ethereal light, they brimmed with wisdom and power, enforcing a beauty which Caia was completely enchanted by.

Galadriel's eyes met Caia's. The two glass orbs peered into her soul with the softest blue of the sky. It was as if Caia was suddenly the only person standing there, vulnerable and weak. The world was extending around her, encompassing miles upon miles of unfamiliar territory, and Caia was stranded in the middle of it.

" _Your fear extends to the edges of Middle Earth."_

The voice within her head was unsettling and unwelcome, infringing on Caia's own thoughts. Trying not to outwardly react to her discomfort, Caia grit her teeth together, only glancing up at the ethereal elf when she felt safe to do so.

" _They are coming for you, Eccaia."_

The male elf spoke.

"Nine there are here, yet ten set out from Rivendell." His voice was sharp, and Caia immediately felt intimidated.

"Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him."

The mention of the wizard brought a heavy cloud into the air.

Galadriel's voice, soft and fleeting as a bird in the sky, answered the question that the Fellowship could not.

"He has fallen into shadow."

Her hair was silky and smooth, long and well-kempt. Caia felt no more than a grimy child, eyes trained on the ground.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," Galadriel continued. "Stray but a little, and it will fail to the ruin of all."

A silence descended upon the room, dangerously loud in its own way. Exhaustion filled the air as Galadriel's blue eyes looked upon her company for a few seconds. Before long, she spoke again.

"Yet hope remains while the company is true." A small smile graced her lips. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep comfortably."

Making eye contact with Galadriel once more, Caia's grasp on the situation began to fall. A deep sense of discomfort climbed up the lining of her stomach, bubbling into her throat. The words that continued to be exchanged fell on deaf ears as she dropped her gaze to the floor once more, heart pounding with a purpose that she could not understand.

It was as if her soul was aware of something that her mind did not yet know.

* * *

 _The entire city was covered with gray ash. Smoke extended from what was once magnificent buildings, and what was reduced to no more than rubble. The essence of good had been destroyed, and was replaced with a vicious, merciless destruction that engulfed all around it._

 _Sitting in the corner of the room, ropes bound around her hands and ankles, a small head was hung in defeat._

' _Do you remember what we are to do?'_

 _Her shoulders were shaking with fear._

' _Yes.'_

 _Jovial laugher, laced with the ferocious high of an evil victory, echoed throughout the room._

' _We are not to fail. If we do, Middle Earth descends into darkness.'_

 _All she could feel was the weight of her situation, resting atop her small, weakened back. Lonely, she was stranded within the grasp of the enemy, struggling to free from a cage which had no door._

 _They had failed._

* * *

Caia shot up.

The blanket under which she had been soundly sleeping was suddenly too tight- too constricting. Throwing off the offending fabric, Caia placed a hand to her chest, under which she could feel the rapid, alarmed beating of her heart. Struggling to control her erratic breathing, Caia leaned back against the tree that she had been sleeping next to.

The one night that she had been provided with a pillow, blanket, and fresh clothes, a restful sleep still would not find her.

The rest of the Fellowship was asleep. The clearing in which they were resting was dimly lit with a soft silver glow, prompting Cia to allow her shoulders to relax; to forget her worries.

But all she could see was ask and smoke reflected in the dark night, rising into a moonless sky. Caia would find no repose within the beauty of Lothlorien.

Intending only to clear her head, Caia slowly stood up, willing her heart to calm down as she walked barefoot through the deep green grass.

Strolling through the quiet of night, Caia let her thoughts wander to the edge of the world, encompassing all that she knew to be within. She had more questions than answers. Every answer had only revealed more questions.

Continuing through a small gap between two more trees, Caia allowed herself to wander aimlessly, trying for once to let her guard down.

However, even when surrounded with the glowing light of safety, all Caia could think about was the darkness that chased at her feet.

"You seek answers, do you not?"

The voice sent Caia's heart into her throat, and she stifled a gasp of surprise as she turned her head to the side.

Galadirel stood with the grace of a goddess, her blue eyes meeting Caia's.

"This world remains unfamiliar to you."

A sudden dam was lifted from Caia's heart as exhaustion poured over her, and words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them.

"I really don't think I belong here. This is all so much bigger than me," she admitted in no more than a whisper. "I'm not who you think I am."

Galadriel took a few steps towards Caia, moving silently across the ground of the forest.

"You are not who you believe yourself to be," Galadriel remarked, looking down at Caia with something akin to kindness in her eyes. "The life which you remember cannot return to you."

Her words, spoken with such eloquence, caused Caia's eyes to burn slightly.

Everything that she had once known to be true was a lie, and Caia had no way of rationalizing it to herself. Her arrival in a work of fiction, the possession of powers that claimed to slumber within the depths of her mind; it all pointed to a place which Caia could not get to.

"If I'm not who I think I am, then who am I?" Caia put her hand over her shirt, under which the small green pendant rested quietly, and sat down on a stump of a tree trunk. "Where does that leave me?"

Galadriel leaned down, coming to eye-level with Caia. It was as if Galadriel did not need to think about what to say before she responded.

"Eccaia Gradae," she said gently. "Who she is, I cannot tell you. That identity has been lost from the minds of all who once knew her. Once you remember, the balance of Middle Earth can be restored. This has always been your destiny."

 _Eccaia Gradae._

The name itself seemed to have countless stories to tell.

A few seconds went by in which nothing was said. Caia's gaze had fallen to the ground, trying to take in what the elf had told her.

 _So, I can't go back home._

The cool of the breeze was suddenly much less comforting than it had been before. Like a death sentence, Middle Earth held Caia in place, as if it had a will of its own. There was nothing that she could do to change fate; a concept which she had never been particularly fond of.

 _Where am I going to go if I even survive this?_

Caia looked back up at Galadriel once the elf took hold of her hands. Galadriel's hands seemed strangely cool as they encompassed Caia.

"There is more within you which you do not yet know of," she said.

The breeze disappeared. Without it, Caia was suddenly cold.

A drop of uncertainty fell into Caia's mind, but before she could even think to say something to Galadriel, a soft glow began to shine.

The pendant began to warm Caia's chest.

Pulling her hands away, Galadriel's lips sprouted a small smile. Caia stared, wide-eyed, down at her hands.

A small light was shining with quiet splendor, replacing some of the cold with a bit of its own warmth. It seemed to be alive, gently glimmering in the night.

Caia's heart was thundering as her stomach began to flutter, looking down at the luminescence. As if trying to evoke something within her, it shone brighter for just a second, illuminating the surrounding trees, before it began to fade.

With as much brilliance as it had contained upon its initial arrival, the dazzle of light shrank, as if falling in on itself. In less than a few seconds, the illumination was gone.

Caia's hands felt warm as she stared at her palms, which were now empty. As if mirroring the display, the pendant cooled down.

Completely awestruck, Caia looked up at Galadriel, who was still smiling gently down at her, light hair smoothly falling over her shoulders.

"With time, you will find the answers that you seek."

Caia was unable to say a word.

Without the warmth in her hands, she felt suddenly very empty.

* * *

 **Guess who's back with another update? I'm finally getting a bit used to school again, which hopefully means I'll have more time for writing. We'll see, I suppose.**

 **On another personal note, I'm going to the cardiologist tomorrow. I have a heart condition, and it's time to see if it's improved. Wish me luck! (I'm very nervous...)**

 **I'm starting to get super attached to this story and to writing Caia. I know this chapter wasn't super action-packed, but I also know a lot of you were looking forward to seeing Caia's interaction with Galadriel. I hope this isn't anti-climactic! I'd like for things to progress at a reasonable pace, so for Caia to remember everything instantly would, in my eyes, be a little unrealistic in connection with the plot. Hopefully this satiates some of your curiosity! :)**

 **Also: I have a question!**

 **As we all know, the Fellowship is going to split up soon. I have my mind made up on where Caia is going to go, but I'd really like to hear your thoughts: what do you think is going to happen to her? I'm really, really curious. I imagine the split itself won't be for at least another two chapters, but we'll see. :)**

 **As always, thanks so so much to ColdOnePaul and O-O-Octopus for reviewing on my last chapter! The feedback meant a lot to me. I think I may have been a little obvious in my last note about my anxiety about how the last chapter would be perceived. Your reviews made me feel really happy, so thank you. :)**

 **Thanks for reading this update, everyone. I really hope you liked it! Please don't hesitate to drop me a review with what you think. It really means the world to me to hear my readers' feedback.**

 **Take care, everyone!**


	14. Chapter 14

_Jumping up and down the floor,_

 _My head is an animal_

* * *

Caia sat within the rocking boat, eyes wandering aimlessly among the trees of the forest.

Immediately upon leaving Lothlorien, the air began to twist with a foreboding discomfort. Though the leaves and grass were unbelievably green, the air aromatic and sweet, the knowledge of the approaching Uruk-hai became more and more prevalent in Caia's mind.

The Fellowship would not last through this day.

Stranded with this premonition, Caia was unable to help the anxiety that skittered about her head.

There was a small rock in the boat. Coupled with the sound of water splashing gently at the side of the boat, Caia's mind was brought back to Buckleberry Ferry- where everything had begun.

It was hard to accept that she had been in Middle Earth for such a long time. Every day, Caia encountered something that highlighted the difference between her and the people she was around every day. Whether it be a strange mannerism or saying something painfully 21st-Century-esque, Caia constantly felt like a black sheep.

She couldn't imagine getting used to her situation but felt a rush to come to terms with it.

 _I can't go home now._

* * *

Galadriel had stepped in front of Caia, who was lined up with the rest of the Fellowship. The elf, with her ever-kind smile and ethereal blue eyes, extended her hand to Caia. In it rested a small, silver pin.

Caia took the pin gently, holding it up to get a better look at it.

At the back end of the pin, the metal had been shaped to resemble three small flowers, painted pink. The detail etched into the small petals was breathtaking. The twist of the metal gave off an elegant, sophisticated impression as it curled into the small flowers.

Caia almost felt as if she was holding something that should have belonged to a princess from centuries ago.

Looking up, Caia's gaze met Galadriel in a silent question.

"You have much to learn yet, Eccaia," she said gently. "You will find the answers which you seek."

Caia held the pin, which seemed ever-cold. She could only nod at Galadriel's words, which seemed to encompass riddles of their own.

"Thank you."

Galadriel only smiled.

Caia felt a peace that she doubted would return after her departure.

* * *

A sense of relief filled Caia as the boat came to a halt, coming onto shore. She grabbed her small bag, unable to stop the breath that she released, and wasted no time in climbing out of the boat.

The hours spent in the small boat left her slightly queasy, but Caia tried to push the feeling away.

There was too much to worry about.

Caia's gaze fell on Frodo.

The ringbearer had a faraway look in his eyes. More so than usual, his mind seemed to be adrift somewhere far away, as if countless thoughts were swimming in his head.

Fueled by a small bubble of empathy, Caia approached Frodo.

"Are you okay?" She asked, voice slightly quiet. "You seem out of it."

The halfling's blue eyes met hers, and there was a short pause.

 _They don't understand your 21_ _st_ _Century lingo, idiot._

"I mean- you look preoccupied. Though I guess it's hard not to be," Caia added quickly.

The ringbearer nodded, looking away once again, as if drawn in by the sounds of the forest.

"Yes, it is hard not to be," he affirmed, a certain edge to his voice that caused a spark of confusion within Caia.

Unable to help feeling as if she had intruded on something that was not meant for her, Caia nodded simply before turning around, her gut twisting uncomfortably.

Walking back towards the rest of the Fellowship, Caia felt uneasy. A part of her was upset, knowing that everybody was going to part ways. Though Caia wasn't able to emotionally connect with many of them, there was a certain sense of unity that was shared between everybody present. Caia was surprised to be included in this unity.

The singing breeze and rustling leaves were as real as could be, yet Caia was unable to get herself to believe that she truly was standing atop the soil of Middle Earth.

A fire was crackling, enveloping small twigs within a circle of rocks. Caia sat a few feet away, leaning against a tree. Placing her bag on her lap, Caia pulled at the strings, untying the knot that she had made that morning.

The bag was considerably fuller than it had been when she'd gotten it in Brie.

It held a range of items- from Galadriel's gift to a pouch of water and Elvish Lembas Bread, which she had received in Lothlorien. Digging throughout the contents of the bag, Caia took hold of the small silver clip, and pulled it out. Turning it over in her hands, Caia ran her fingers across the weathered pink flowers.

An undiscernible feelng filled her stomach.

"We cross the lake at nightfall," Aragorn's words interrupted Caia's thoughts. "Hide the boats and continue on foot."

Caia dropped the small clip into a pocket at her side, taking comfort in the close proximity of Galadriel's gift.

She couldn't help feeling safer with the gift closer to her.

"We approach Mordor from the North."

The statement left a cold dread solidifying itself within Caia's blood.

 _Mordor._

As Gimli stood up, throwing sass Aragorn's way, Caia looked back around just in time to see Boromir wandering off. His back disappeared between the trees with little more than a rustle.

With a small frown, Caia stood up slowly.

A small voice whispered with suspicion.

Acting with a sudden faux bravery, Caia stood and followed Boromir into the woods. Unnoticed, as was usual given her quiet demeanor, she strayed behind Boromir, following the whispers in her head that warned her of something that she could not consciously remember.

Barely able to hear Boromir muttering to himself as he picked up sticks, Caia strained to listen, unable to make out the words. Her heart was thudding with warning.

The trees began to thin out near a clearing, and Caia could make out a crumbled stone ruin. Boromir, picking up another stick, seemed to stand back up straighter as he saw Frodo.

"None of us should wander alone," he remarked cheerfully. "Least of all you. So much depends on you."

Even Caia, from a few yards back, could feel the tension that enveloped the air. It was as if Frodo shared Caia's suspicions, staring up at Boromir with a pensive frown.

Seeming to notice this, Boromir paused.

"Frodo?" He asked.

Still getting no response, Boromir stepped towards the halfling slowly. "I know why you seek solitude," he said, as the ringbearer averted his gaze. "You suffer. I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly?"

"There are other ways," he continued, standing eerily still. "Other paths that we might take."

Frodo cut in, voice steely. "I know what you would say. And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart."

Boromir's voice shook, as if he was barely managing to hold onto his composure.

"Warning?" He repeated. "Against what?"

Something in his voice sparked the bell of alarm in Caia's throat and, though nervous, she stepped out from behind the tree she had been hiding by.

As she did so, Boromir stepped towards Frodo, who evaded the man by stepping around him quickly.

"We're all afraid, Frodo," Boromir's posture took a more threatening turn as he leaned toward the halfling, stepping towards Frodo as he backed away.

"But to let that fear drive us and destroy what little hope we have- don't you see that is madness?"

Caia took a few quick steps towards the two as the air began to darken, nearing the point of snapping.

"What're you doing?" She asked Boromir, voice coming out slightly jittery. Her legs felt akin to jelly as the man looked at her, his eyes holding on to something dark that Caia had never before seen.

Boromir's jaw clenched, and his grip on the wood he was carrying tightened.

"I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" He snapped, throwing the wood down to the ground, where it landed with a loud clutter.

Surprised at the sudden outburst, Caia laid her hand on Frodo's shoulder without thinking, and pushed him back slightly.

It was as if she was not there, however, as Boromir stepped forward.

"If you would but lend me the ring-"

"No," Frodo's voice was suddenly alarmed as he turned, backing up. Caia followed him slowly, eyes trained on Boromir. Her heart was thudding in alarm, and her blood filled with anticipation.

"Why do you recoil?" Boromir demanded. "I am no thief."

Caia, eyes widened, was unable to say a word.

"You are not yourself," Frodo answered, still chilled with caution.

A small flame of anger burned within Caia, both at Boromir and herself.

Why had she stepped forward if she could hardly say a word to follow through?

Boromir swallowed, lips tightening at Frodo's words.

"What chance do you think you have?" He inquired, voice filling with malice. "They will find you. They will take the ring. And you will beg for death before the end!" His voice was nearing a shout, rough with anger.

There was a small, firm tug on Caia's sleeve, and she looked behind her to see Frodo turn indignantly, walking way.

Caia's head whipped back to Boromir, who suddenly resembled a furious bear. He seemed bristling with fury as his eyes bore after Frodo.

"You _fool!_ " He shouted, suddenly striding forward.

Something within Caia snapped.

"Stop!" She shrieked, throwing herself in front of Frodo. Shaky hands rising to shove at Boromir, which had little effect, Caia felt herself stumble to keep her footing.

Boromir grabbed her shoulder and shoved her to the side roughly, sending her falling to the ground, where her fall was barely cushioned by the leaves.

"It could have been mine!" Boromir shouted, breaking into a run.

Caia, though dizzy from the fall, struggled to scramble to her feet, hurrying after the two.

Boromir tackled Frodo to the ground, where he tried to shove the ringbearer's hands aside, which were holding onto the ring.

"Give it to me!" He demanded, voice fierce and angry.

Frodo shouted in response, and Caia barely managed to make it towards Boromir, who she pushed with all of her might.

She barely noticed the Hobbit vanish, her vision clouded with adrenaline.

"Stop!" Caia cried once again, only seconds before her arms were twisted at an angle in which they didn't belong, prompting a yell. Caia rammed into Boromir with her body, trying to get him to let go.

She was shoved to the ground so quickly that her head spun once again, a quick nausea filling her throat.

Boromir suddenly let out a grunt. Simultaneously, he went flying into the air, letting go of Caia, who scrambled backwards.

As Boromir sat back up, eyes still crazed, Caia hurried to her feet, where she followed what she thought to be the sound of Frodo's footsteps among the leaves.

"You will take the ring to Sauron!" Boromir yelled hoarsely, head turning as he tried in vain to catch a glimpse of the halfling. "You will betray us!"

Caia continued to back up, arms smarting from the scuffle.

"Curse you! And all the halflings!" Boromir continued to scream, finding his footing again.

His leg was pulled out from underneath him, and the man fell to the ground with a yell, sliding down the sloped hill slightly.

Caia, still standing motionless, watched as Boromir's heavy breathing began to slow.

It was as if he was suddenly becoming himself again. Caia couldn't help the stab of pity within her stomach.

 _He's going to die._

The leaves continued to rustle, and there was, once again, a pull on Caia's sleeve.

Immediately springing into action, Caia let herself be pulled between trees, hurrying over large tree roots that were embedded into the ground, stepping on leaves that crunched loudly. Her heart twisted with guilt as Boromir's voice, now faded, echoed throughout the trees.

" _Frodo, I'm sorry!"_

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **It's been about two weeks now, but I'm starting to feel like myself again. I hope this chapter isn't too back and forth.**

 **A massive thanks to yasminasfeir01 for your message about the note I posted (which is, as promised, deleted). You're such a kind person, and that really made a difference to me. I hope you know that your words meant a lot. :)**

 **I hope everyone has been well! I am getting back into the swing of writing, and this story will now be updated around once a week, probably around Tuesdays. Once I have specifics figured out, I'll let you know. Please continue to support this story!**

 **Thank you so so much for reading, and please drop a review saying what you thought. I love seeing everyone's feedback.**

 **Take care!**


	15. Chapter 15

_It's like I'm the only one_

 _Living in a world like this_

* * *

The grip on Caia's alarm ceased as a small stone ruin of sorts appeared between the trees. Caia same to a stop, placing a hand on her chest which was heaving with deep breaths.

There was a rough tug at her heart as she stood in the forest. Boromir's anguished voice haunted her mind, drawing forth Caia's feelings of helplessness. It was as if her weakness was being preyed on.

She had left him to die.

Soon, the woods would be flooded with Uruk-Hai. Blood would spill across the lands, staining the green grass that was dancing ignorantly in the wind.

Caia's faint memory of the Uruk-Hai in the movies resurfaced in her mind, beckoning forth anxiety.

Her head suddenly began to smart, and Caia's hand flew up into her hair, gripping at her head with a grimace. Nausea began to creep its way up Caia's throat, and she stumbled against a tree, letting herself lean against it.

* * *

 _Hand in hand, the pair hurried through the long hallway. The urgency that filled the corners of the walls fueled her fear. Her heart pounded quickly, but she tried to take comfort from the warmth of the hand that held hers._

 _Right as they reached the end of the hallway, they came to a stop._

 _Pulling the smaller kid back, the older girl shushed her._

" _The language of Mordor," she whispered, eyes staring towards the sound of the incoming voices._

" _Mordor?" The younger kid repeated, grabbing onto the girl's sleeve._

 _With a nod, the girl's eyes narrowed. "Yes. They will take us there if they can. They need us both."_

 _Looking down at the small girl, she took her hand once again._

" _We cannot let that happen."_

 _Yelling, she, fought against the hand that tightly gripped her small arm. Her small body, even with all of the fear that powered her actions, was nowhere near strong enough to fight off the attack of the men._

 _The girl across from her was being yanked away._

 _The men spoke to each other loudly in a language etched in darkness. The sound of their words, curling through the dusty air, drove terror into her heart. Her eyes wandered in the heat of the moment, landing on the pin of pink flowers still clinging onto the girl's dark hair._

 _They had failed._

 _And now, they were being taken away._

* * *

"Caia?"

With a blink, Caia was suddenly dropped back into Middle Earth.

She was still leaning heavily against a tree, hardly aware of how wide her eyes were as they landed on Frodo. The ringbearer was laying on the ground right underneath the stone ruin, as if he had fallen off.

"Are you alright?"

His question prompted further silence from Caia. She loosened her grip on her head, which was aching as a result of the tugging to her hair. She let the hand fall back to her side, still breathing heavily.

Slowly, Caia nodded. Attempting to regain her composure, she stood back up straight. "Yeah. Sorry," she said somewhat quietly.

This wasn't the time to focus on the fragments of her memories.

Taking a few steps towards Frodo, Caia spoke again.

"What about you? Are you hurt?"

Before the halfling could respond, Caia spotted someone walking up behind him, and paused.

"Frodo?"

The ringbearer started at Aragorn's voice, spinning around with a gasp.

Upon seeing the ranger, who was looking from Caia to Frodo, he seemed to relax ever so slightly.

"It has taken Boromir," Frodo said quickly, his voice ablaze with panic.

Caia opened her mouth in a sudden urge to defend Boromir, but before she could Aragorn took a step towards Frodo, his eyes filling with urgency.

"Where is the ring?" He asked.

"Stay away!" Frodo demanded, scrambling to his feet. Caia stepped aside, surprised, letting the halfling hurry past her. He turned back around, facing Aragorn. The ranger continued to follow Frodo, stopping by Caia.

Astonished, the ranger held his hands up in the air. "I swore to protect you," he claimed, voice growing softer.

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo asked, staring up at Aragorn through narrowed eyes.

The sudden caution in his demeanor had Caia shocked. Her mind was reeling with questions, running one thousand miles per second. The same nausea from before was making its way into her throat.

Caia was becoming dizzy.

 _A pin of pink flowers._

Aragorn's voice was drowned out of Caia's head as she shut her eyes tightly, flashes of broken memories flying through her head.

 _A pin of pink flowers._

Caia's hand found its way into her pocket, where she took hold of the pin, gripping it tightly.

 _Mordor._

" _They need us both."_

An unidentifiable emotion intruded into Caia's head. It was as if her very being was becoming stretched. A part of herself that she did not know was speaking to her, trying to get her to remember what she could not.

Once again, Caia was hastily pulled back to her senses at the sound of a sword being pulled out of its sheath.

She whipped her head up to look at Aragorn, who was holding his sword.

There was a small rumbling approaching, and Caia's heart leapt into her throat.

"Run," Aragorn demanded, staring at the halfling. When Frodo didn't respond, the ranger's voice rose, nearing that of a yell. "Run!"

Frodo spun around and broke into a sprint, hurrying into the trees. His cape fluttered behind him for a moment, and then he was no more.

Caia's breathing sped up as panic began to consume her mind as the sound of growling Uruk-Hai approaching.

Aragorn tugged at her arm, pushing her further underneath the ruins.

Looking up at him through wide eyes, Caia shook her head.

"I can't fight them," she breathed, voice shaking. "They'll kill me. I don't wanna die. "

Aragorn shook his head.

"You will not die on this day," he said simply, eyes looking into hers for a moment.

Caia didn't say a word. Frozen in place, she tightened her grip on the pin. Its metal edges dug into her skin, drawing forth a dull aching.

"Aragorn," Caia was hardly aware of the words tumbling from her mouth in a spew of desperation. She drew forth the pin and held it out. "There's someone I have to find."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Caia could hear the thundering of the Uruk-Hai getting closer.

If she was going to act, it had to be now.

"I have to go," she breathed, taking a few steps backward.

"Caia-"

Before she could listen to his protest, Caia spun on her feet, dropping the pin back into her pocket, and hurried between the trees, following the direction in which Frodo had gone.

Caia's legs strained as the ran through the forest, hurrying down a hill. The ranger's shout of her name fell on deaf ears, slowly growing quieter.

The sound of yelling and swords clashing together began to sound in the direction from which Caia had come, fueling her to run faster than she ever had known she could.

 _Mordor._

Rushing back towards where she hoped the river was, Caia jumped over large tree roots that stuck out from the ground. The world was a blur of golden sunlight and green leaves as she sprinted, chest heaving with heavy breaths.

There was a rumble in front of her, and Caia came skidding to a halt, holding onto a tree to keep herself still.

A large group of Uruk-Hai ran past, armor clanking together with a threatening echo.

She hurried behind the tree, pressing her back against it. Jaw clenched, Caia listened to her heart thundering in her chest, and fought to keep her mind from running itself into panic.

This was the first time she was alone since arriving in Middle Earth.

"Find the halflings!" A deep voice shouted, filled to the brim with menace. "Find the woman!"

Hand gripping the bark of the tree so hard that it dug underneath her nails, Caia almost choked on her own breath.

 _They're still looking for me._

How was she going to get out of this?

Slowly, and while holding her breath, Caia slowly leaned to look around the tree, peering through the leaves at the Uruk-Hai. They thundered down the hill, shouting at each other. Caia couldn't even begin to count how many of them there were- they by far outnumbered what little she could remember from the movies. A darkness seemed to follow them, as if shackled onto them with unbreakable chains.

Caia was threatened by the very sight of them.

It was like she stood for hours, waiting for the throng of Uruk-Hai to pass. Once they finally did, Caia stood still. The forest, which had been alive with the sounds of birds and other wildlife, was now eerily quiet. It was as if they, too, were aware of the evil that was curling between the trees and hid away.

Suddenly overtaken by a sense of panic, freezing her to the spot, Caia stared ahead.

How could she do this?

Caia was no heroine. Hiding from Uruk-Hai was one thing, but walking blindly into Mordor?

This was a world in which she didn't belong, despite what Galadriel had said.

 _But that girl might still be in Mordor._

The image of the girl with the pin in her dark hair flashed through Caia's mind again.

" _They need us both."_

Caia closed her eyes, drawing in deep, slow breaths.

This wasn't the time to let her anxiety win.

It was now or never. She had to find Frodo and Sam before they left.

With a sudden drive of bravery, Caia flew out from behind the safety of the tree, sprinting across the clearing. With a quick glance in the direction that the Uruk-Hai had gone, she could still see their backs running into the forests, their armor clanging together.

Hurrying between the trees once again, Caia's heart jumped at every snap of a twig as she continued sprinting down the small slopes of the forest.

"Mr. Frodo!"

Caia skidded to a halt with a yelp, whipping her head to the side. Sam stood, staring at her with equally wide eyes. His brow glimmered with sweat, demeanor giving away the worry he felt.

"Caia-"

Before he could finish, Caia began to speak, her voice rushed.

"The Uruk-Hai are here," she panted, approaching Sam. "I'm trying to find Frodo, but we have to move quickly. There's so many of them."

Sam nodded. "Let's go back to the river," he said.

After giving her okay, Sam broke into a run. Caia followed quickly, her mind still spinning with fear.

* * *

 **Well, now you know where Caia's headed. I'm not gonna lie, it took a lot of thinking on my part on which direction she would go, and how I could fit that into the plot. But really, I've had this mostly planned out since the beginning, so I hope this won't take away from the story for anyone who had their hearts set on Caia going somewhere else. ^^**

 **I hope those of you in the US enjoyed your day off yesterday! I sure did. Yay for Labor Day. Now we just have to survive until Thanksgiving.**

 **I'm finishing up the first movie in the next chapter for sure! I can't believe I've written this much for a story. I've always been bad at writing novels; I'm much more of a one-shot person. But I really love writing this story, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it as well.**

 **A big big thanks to dinopoodle, yasminasfeir1, and NeoMulder for your reviews on my last chapter! I'm so glad everyone is having fun with this story. I love hearing from you guys. :)**

 **I hope you enjoyed this story! More is being revealed, but there's still sooo much more I have in store for this. Please leave a review with your thoughts! It absolutely makes my day to hear from everyone. :)**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and take care! See you in about a week.**


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